A Problem We Cannot Ignore

Studies have shown that almost seven million Canadians have trouble with everyday reading and writing tasks! More than one in three Canadians:

• can't take information from a catalogue and put it on an order form;
• can't tell when schools are open from reading a brochure;
• have trouble using maps and charts.

When people can't read and write basic information, their lives become limited to things that are familiar, to places and things and activities they already know. The need to read manuals or follow other written instructions keeps them from learning new things. Low literacy can carry a high price.

People pay dearly

Adults who cannot read and write well enough to handle everyday materials are less likely to have completed high school. They usually have to settle for low-paying, low skill jobs and tend to suffer from more health problems than people with high literacy skills. A study carried out in Ontario found that:

• More than half of the people who receive social assistance aren't able to read and write well;
• only 40 per cent of people with less than a grade nine education have jobs;
• one in four people with only elementary school education says their health is fair or poor.

Seventeen per cent of people who have some high school education say their health is only fair or poor. Even fewer people who have more education say the same thing.

Poor health, a low-paying job, or no job at all, are high prices to pay for not finishing school or not being able to read and write well.

There are many other hardships and limitations people with low literacy skills face. They may wish to save money by buying generic grocery products, but not be able to read the labels. They may buy a more expensive product because the picture on the label tells them exactly what's inside the box or can.

Product labeling can be a dangerous problem. Products as different as a cooking spray and a spray pesticide can have labels that look very much alike. And medicine bottle labels are often so confusing that people cannot tell how much medicine they should give their children.