The Issues Workshop, held on October 26, 2000 as part of the Saskatchewan Literacy Network's regular meetings, was an opportunity to bring together the literacy and disability communities. The goal of the event was to raise awareness of the issues connected to literacy for people with intellectual / developmental disabilities. Opportunities for the two groups to discuss concerns, possible solutions, and future cooperation were numerous.
Dr. Glenn Yates, the session facilitator, had conducted a similar event for the Tri-County Literacy Network in Ontario. To complement the Issues Workshop, a preliminary Discussion Paper and an after-the-fact Summary Paper were sent to attendees.
The Regional Workshops provided training to individuals and agencies that were interested in expanding literacy options available to adults with intellectual / developmental disabilities. The content of the Regional Workshops was based largely on the Issues Workshop, the SARC Supplementary Tutor Handbook and the SARC Literacy Activities Handbook.
The SARC Literacy Activities Handbook, the main written product of this project, encompassed all research completed in the first two projects.
Another package of appropriate learning / teaching materials were distributed to the major provincial literacy providers in Saskatchewan to assist them in becoming more inclusive.
The presentation at the SARC 2001 Annual General Meeting and Conference was yet another opportunity to share information with our membership. The focus was on proposal writing and literacy funding sources.
SARC applauds the efforts being made in both the literacy and disability communities to assist adults in building their literacy skills. It is hoped that SARC's literacy projects will ultimately assist current and future efforts.