Basis of communication – perception and meaning of information
Concerns about available information expressed by people with low literacy skills call to mind the challenges of communicating successfully. Information must be accessible, clear and credible from the recipient’s perspective in order to ensure successful communication (see tab 1, Successful Communication).
This section reviews various tools for evaluating the accessibility and clarity of information. It presents several tips linked to public opinion research conducted with people of low literacy skills. The use of these tools and tips may require the involvement of experts (see tab 7, Contacts).
Known obstacles that are likely to undermine the accessibility and clarity of information can be grouped together and illustrated as follows:
| DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE RECIPIENT | ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER | |
|---|---|---|
| “I have trouble reading” | |
Perception – graphic readability (size, colour, contrast and sharpness of characters, highlighting) and density of text |
| “The text is difficult” | |
Knowledge required – readability of the vocabulary and syntax |
| “I do not see the connection” | |
Logic of information – intelligibility of how information is organized and presented |
| “I do not understand what I am being told” | |
Basis of communication – perception and meaning of information |
| “I do not understand how this relates to me” | |
Purpose of communication – personal interest or importance |
These difficulties, which arise in the comprehension process, do not present themselves sequentially, but arise simultaneously and interact with one another.