Our aim with this manual is to convince you of the benefits of using simple, clear language when working with clients. We have given you a few of the quite startling statistics on the literacy level of Canadians. We have to provide information that can be understood by the majority of our clients and cannot assume everyone reads at a grade 12 level. We have also provided some guidance and steps to take to start a literacy program for your tribunal.
The courts have stated it plainly: if individuals do not understand the legal process in which they are involved, then justice has been denied. There is an extensive body of case law on this topic and the most relevant cases are included in Appendix A. The cases are divided into six major topics:
This manual is phase one of our planned attack on low literacy and the administrative justice system. It was funded by the National Literacy Secretariat of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. We are looking forward to continuing our work by providing workshops on a regional basis and also for individual tribunals. Online learning is another project we would like to develop, one that makes a lot of sense in a country as large as ours with 10 provinces and 3 territories. These next steps will depend, however, on continued funding from HRSDC to go forward with this important work.