One in five American adults cannot access or use the Internet.
So why does it matter anyway if more adults are literate?
This year, we will be looking at ways that our great KC can be even better with more of our city’s adults reading, writing, being hired for family-supporting jobs, becoming leaders in their churches, volunteering at their children’s schools, voting, paying taxes, and overall being more community involved. Future posts will include interviews with employment agencies, major companies, schools and colleges, hospitals, and civic leaders about how adult literacy impacts their efforts in Kansas City.
Nationwide, 36 million adults can’t read better than the average 3rd grader.
Without basic reading, writing, math, and computer skills these Americans are struggling to find jobs, stay healthy, and support their families. Current financial resources, according to the ProLiteracy organization, help only 3 million of these adults to improve their futures and the communities around them.
It’s the Economy
The dire situation affects the entire nation. Low literacy hurts the economy by limiting demand for products and stunting job creation. Low literate adults are also twice as likely to be out of work – raising the high rate of unemployment even higher.
Rising Health Costs
Patients with low literacy skills have a 50 percent increased risk of hospitalization.
Not being able to read can actually be a life or death situation. Nearly half of American adults have difficulty understanding and using health information, according to the Center for Healthcare Strategies, making it difficult to maintain good health.
The Digital Literacy Divide
One in five American adults cannot access or use the Internet. Those without a high school education are among the least likely to have access.
At Literacy KC in 2015, in our Ticket to Read program alone, 256 students participated in twice weekly instruction in reading, writing, basic computer skills, and math. Of that number, 49 students were hired for a new job and 37 received a raise at their current job. In addition, 186 sent their first email and 68 attended a child’s school event. Greater productivity, mitigated under- or unemployment, and increased family attention on education: How can that not help us all?
Sources
ProLiteracy: the US Crisis
The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
Pew Internet and American Life Project
ProLiteracy Member Statistical Report
The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (Department of Education)