But we cannot assume that clients with grade 10 or their high school diploma or a university degree for that matter can read easily. Here are some statistics showing the percentage of adult Canadians who have low reading skills:³⁴

• 11 per cent of those with a university diploma
• 30 per cent of those with a college diploma
• 43 per cent of high school graduates
• 51 per cent of those who have some high school
• 88 per cent of those with Grade 8
• 98 per cent of those with less than Grade 8

Recognizing literacy problems before the hearing

Many with low literacy levels are very skilled at coping. They have various ways of hiding the problem. Knowing what these markers are—and training staff to recognize and handle them—will go a long way to improving access to the services of your tribunal.

Asking the client directly

It may not be appropriate or useful to ask clients directly if they can read. Opinion is divided on whether an outright question is insensitive, or if it should be any different from asking clients and participants any other kind of personal question. However, there are a number of ways to get an idea of who the clients might be and if they might have low literacy skills.

Reviewing the file

Check if there are any data on past clients or if some information can be collected from the file. A profile may begin to emerge, especially if the client fits into one or more of the groups that have a high proportion of people with literacy problems. If the person is a past client, it should be marked on the file so everyone will be aware of the problem and help appropriately.

34. Statistics Canada, et al., Reading the Future, p. 4.