“By educating our clients we give them choices and opportunities to deal with other problems. Increases in literacy can result in increases in confidence. Even a minor change can affect self image.” – Community Development Worker during Consultation

• Several groups of representatives we interviewed during the consultation from the former Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (now the Ministry of Human Resources) estimated that 25% of their clients have low levels of functional literacy. Moreover, they said there are often multiple issues with these clients, including: isolation, family crises, anger management, substance abuse, financial constraints, lifeskills, communication, community participation, poverty etc.

• Some people we talked with described a greater awareness and less stigma associated with literacy – simply by virtue of how many organizations encounter it as an issue. Referrals to community literacy organization come from the former Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (now the Ministry of Human Resources), social workers, hospital workers, counselors, and the Salvation Army.

• Throughout the consultation, we were told that literacy involves and touches on many other issues. A mine closure, for example, that displaces a worker with low literacy skills and who can’t find other work, has a straining effect on their family, on finances, etc.

• Our discussions with a number of social agencies reinforced that literacy is bundled up with other issues. Individual Ministries (eg. the former Ministry of Volunteers and Cooperatives) can serve some needs, but addressing literacy takes time – and it requires life skills development as well.

• Numerous representatives of the various government agencies we interviewed – social services, employment placement, family services, corrections, etc. – reflected that they all encounter the people who have fallen through the cracks of our society – and that they are often the same people.

• Several people we interviewed during the consultation were from Correction Centers. One of them cited statistical evidence that a disproportionately high percentage of incarcerated individuals have low levels of literacy, some 85% have learning disabilities, and 20-40% are victims of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Another told us that as many as 8 out of 10 inmates with literacy problems have them as a result of brain injuries. Then we were asked the question: “One has to wonder, though: Is the Correction Centre the best place to address these issues?”

• Learning disabilities are often related to literacy but many of the victims involved have processing difficulties that do not fall into definable categories of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and dyslexia – and, as a result, do not qualify for treatment

• Some educators said that all other things (abuse, trauma, health etc.) being equal, adults who end up in literacy programs often have a learning disability that is never addressed. Clearly, the diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities is a key issue relating to literacy.