Executive Summary
The purpose of this chapter is to provide literacy practitioners with more in-depth and
targeted information about working with adults with learning disabilities and intellectual
disabilities. We already know that there is a significant difference between the learning
needs of these individuals. This tool hopes to educate practitioners further about learning
needs of individuals with learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities. We hope to
provide practitioners with the tools to effectively screen, identify and provide learning
strategies for both of these groups.
Literacy Bill of Rights
As an introduction to this topic, we felt it was important to include the following Bill of
Rights: "All persons, regardless of the extent or severity of their disabilities, have a basic
right to use print." Beyond this general right, there are certain literacy rights that should be
assured for all persons. These basic rights are:
- The right to an opportunity to learn to read and write. Opportunity involves
engagement and active participation in tasks performed with high success.
- The right to have accessible, clear, meaningful, culturally and linguistically
appropriate texts at all times. Texts, broadly defined, range from picture books to
newspapers to novels, cereal boxes, and electronic documents.
- The right to interact with others while reading, writing, or listening to a text.
Interaction involves questions, comments, discussions, and other communications
about or related to the text.
- The right to life choices made available through reading and writing competencies.
Life choices include, but are not limited to, employment and employment changes,
independence, community participation, and self-advocacy.
- The right to lifelong educational opportunities incorporating literacy instruction and
use. Literacy educational opportunities, regardless of when they are provided, have
potential to provide power that cannot be taken away.
|