Literacy Coalitions and Networks

All Canadian provinces and territories and many cities, have literacy coalitions and networks. These organizations can let you know about the range of literacy-training options available in your area. They may also be able to give you a hand informing your workers and volunteers about literacy and about making your services accessible to people who don't read and write well.

For up-to-date listings of literacy agencies in your province and community, refer to the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) web site at http://www.nald.ca/

Acknowledgements

Developing and producing Taking Down the Wall of Words, Parts 1 and 2, has been a most rewarding and innovative experience, bringing together people with diverse backgrounds and interests who had a common enthusiasm and commitment. I would like to thank the members of the management team, the research team, the project staff and the staff of the National Literacy Secretariat, for their dedication and wise counsel, which made our ponderous task seem easy.

Jim MacLatchie

Management Team

Tim Beachy, United Way-Centraide Canada
John Macdonald, Movement for Canadian Literacy
Pam Mayhew, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
Pat Thompson, YMCA Canada

Research Team

Lesley Allen, Arctic College
Céline Maheu, United Way-Centraide Canada
Kim Pate, The Calgary John Howard Society
Megan Wardrop, Ottawa-Carleton Coalition for Literacy
Marion Wells, St. John Learning Society

Project Staff

Joanne Godin, Consulting Writer, Editor, Researcher
Marny McCook, The John Howard Society of Canada
Dick Weiler, Canadian Council on Social Development

National Literacy Secretariat

Jim McLaren, Program Consultant
Sue Smee, Program Consultant

The authors would also like to acknowledge the many resource materials used in the development of this handbook, especially:

La pré-aiphabétisation; les bénévoles, by Nicole Pothier and Monique Vermette; Ministère de l'Education, Quebec,

for the information included in pages 32 and 33 of this handbook.

This handbook is for managers and program directors in community agencies who want to know how to make literacy awareness part of their everyday work. It contains information on:

  • writing materials in clear language,
  • tips to make programs more accessible to people with low literacy skills,
  • developing and sharing literacy resources in the community,
  • more sources of information on literacy.

Copyright © 1991 by The John Howard Society of Canada. All rights reserved. This booklet may be reproduced, provided that credit to the author is retained.

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

 

Main entry under title:
Taking down the wall of words

 

Issued also in French under title: Faire tomber la barrière de l'écrit.

 

Contents: v. 1. Community agencies and literacy.- v. 2. A handbook for community agencies.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-9693196-6-5 (v. 1) - ISBN 0-9693196-7-3 (v. 2)

 

1. Literacy--Canada. 2. Human services--Information services--Canada. 3. Community organization--Canada. 4. Literacy programs--Canada. I. John Howard Society of Canada.

 

LC154.T34    1990    302.2'244'0971    C90-090565-4

Cover art work by David W. Jones, Ottawa.
Typesetting: Michel Henry

Published by:
The John Howard Society of Canada
771 Montreal Street
Kingston, ON
Canada K7K 3J6
Tel: (613) 542-7547
Fax: (613) 542-6824
E-mail: national@johnhoward.ca

With the assistance of the:

Canadian Council on Social Development
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