Illiteracy: Next Steps

OPINION: Editorial Illiteracy takes toll on our health and welfare, Indianapolis Star, Sunday, June 22, 2008.

The statistics are startling. One in five adults in Marion County is functionally illiterate. The job prospects of one in three workers in the state are hampered by poor literacy skills. Health-care costs for an illiterate adult are on average four times higher than for a person who can read prescriptions, follow doctors’ instructions and process other health-related information.

This is a follow-up article discussing the initiative to improve literacy levels in Indianapolis.

Goal: 100% literacy. Solutions mentioned in the article include:  More networking among community organizations working independently on the issue; recruitment of more volunteers.

More info:
– www.indyreads.org, M. Travis DiNicola, Executive Director
– www.readyindiana.org
– www.illiteracyhurts.com
– www.proliteracy.org