literacy and inclusion: a shared responsibility julie ruel, phd research activities coordinator,...
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Literacy and Inclusion: A shared responsibility
Julie Ruel, PhD Research activities coordinator, Pavillon du Parc, Gatineau, Québec, Canada; Co-chairholder, Interdisciplinary Chair in Literacy and Inclusion
Chaire interdisciplinaire de recherche en littératie et inclusion – Pavillon du Parc
Interdisciplinary Chair in Literacy and Inclusion
Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, Québec, Canada _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Social Work Social Development 2012, Stockholm, July 8-12th
Québec
Canada
Gatineau2
Literacy : A multifaceted reality International Adult Literacy and Life Skills
Survey (2003) (OECD and Statistics Canada, 2005) - 7 countries
% of the Quebec population aged 16-65 below level 3 “considered a suitable minimum level for coping with the increasing demands of the emerging knowledge society and information economy” (OECD and Stats-can, 1995, in 2005)
Prose literacy (48.6%) Document literacy (50.5%) Numeracy (53.1%) Problem solving (72.2%)
Older group scores lower than younger group Decline accelerates beyond age 46 80 % aged >66 are below level 3 (Brinck, 2005; OECD and Statistics Canada, 2005; 2011)
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Literacy : A multifaceted realityConsequences of low literacy: Lower levels of education Increased unemployment… frequency, duration Increased reliance on government financial support
programs Disadvantaged in terms of their health Less likely to participate in adult learning Less likely to interact with Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Decreased citizen participation in the democratic process Lower level of engagement in the community (e.g. social,
volunteering) Lower voter turnout
(Brick, 2005 a & b; OECD and Statistics Canada, 2005, 2011) 4
Information literacy
Health literacy
Financial literacy
Digital literacy
Learning and literacy
Visual literacy
Literacy : A multifaceted reality
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Multiple literacies – Use of literacy in multiple contexts
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Information literacy
In our information-overloaded society, an information-literate person:
Appreciates the value of information
Possesses competencies and techniques to reach, search and utilize a variety of information resources
Processes, discriminates, critically assesses and uses information effectively in his or her everyday life
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Health literacy
Definition
“Health literacy is the ability to access, understand, evaluate and communicate information as a way to promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across the life course.”(Rootman and Gordon-El-Bihbety, 2008: 13)
60% of Canadian adults do not have the skills needed to adequately manage their health and health-care needs (CCL, 2008: 2)
... compared to 48% of Canadian adults with low level of literacy (prose literacy)...
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Health literacy
Literacy as a health determinant: Comparable to education, tobacco usage,
nutrition, socioeconomic status (SES) (Agence de la santé publique du Canada, 2009)
Decrease in health problems correlates with increase in literacy levels (Roberts, 2009)
SES and Literacy: Hand-in-hand, lifelong (Roberts, 2009)
Importance of good “Health communication”
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Financial Literacy
Definition“Having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible financial decisions” (Task force on financial literacy, 2011)
“ Knowledge” means understanding personal and broader financial matters.
“ Skills” are the ability to apply that knowledge in everyday life.
“ Confidence” means feeling self-assured enough to make important decisions. This is often a key factor in galvanizing people into action.
“ Responsible financial decisions ,” means that people will be able to use the knowledge, skills and confidence they have gained to make choices that are appropriate to their own circumstances.
(Task force on financial literacy, 2011)
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Digital literacy
Link between regular use of computer and Internet – and literacy competencies (Lacroix 2006)
From now on, digital literacy is included in literacy competencies (Statistics Canada, 2007)
Growing gap between users and non-users of ICT: potential cause of social exclusion (WHO, 2007)
Digital skills timeline : from mastering phase to application, to reflective phase:
Effective and efficient use of digital technology … towards complex cognitive, evaluative and reflective skills (Chinien & Boutin, 2011, adapted from Martin & Grudziecki, DigEuLit, 2006)
Digital Native or Digital Immigrant? (Prensky, 2001)1010
Learning and literacy
33% of teenagers have a low or very low level of literacy (Willms, 2004).
Between 20 % and 40 % of Canadian students don’t have the literacy competencies to be competitive in a world economy (McCracken et Murray, 2009).
New challenges: Inclusion of students in situation of handicap
E.g. University students : UQO – from 30 students in 2007 to 97 in 2011 (+ 223%).
Traditional and emerging situations
Need better knowledge on UID – UDL (Universal Instructional Design – Universal Design for Learning)
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Visual literacy
Definition
Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image.
Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading.
Can we read images? Can we ease the reading of images?
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A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
Why?
Participation in society requires multiple literacies
But…
A significant percentage of the population is lacking in one or more literacies …
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A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
Tensions
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Increase community and services competencies
to take into account the literacy level
of their population
Increase Individual literacy competencies
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A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
PERSON
Competencies…
- Knowledge…
- Skills …
- Critical knowledge
ENVIRONNEMENT
Capacity of the surroundings to …
- Increase interaction
- Support the people…
- Develop favourable contexts to participation
Inclusive perspective of literacy
It is incumbent upon communities and services to rethink their approach in better serving their population, taking into account the literacy levels of their more-vulnerable populations
In doing so, communities and services foster the development of inclusive environments engaging all segments of the population.
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A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
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Develop individualliteracy competencies
Low-literacy population
Develop inclusive services and communities
Literacy level
A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
Social participation
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A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
Evolution of the concept of literacy
Alphabetisation – basic literacyReading and writing
Critical thinkingCitizen participation
A definition of literacy Ability to understand and utilize language,
numbers, ICT and images in interaction and exchanges, to grasp one’s environment, to acquire new knowledge, and develop one’s full potential, as an individual and full citizen, equal in every respect.
It follows that… Communities and services should share
responsibility for enabling accessibility to the social uses of language, numbers, ICT and images, in their respective contexts.
(CIRLI, 2012)19
A shift from an individual to a collective responsibility
CIRLI - Research chair
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Chaire interdisciplinaire de recherche en littératie et inclusion – Pavillon du Parc
Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, Québec, Canada
Interdisciplinary Chair in Literacy and Inclusion
CIRLI objectives
Implement research program :
To provide strategies designed to ease inclusion of different segments of the populations with low literacy
Increasing citizens’ participation, voicing citizens’ opinions, and supporting inclusive communities.
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Accomplishments – strategies
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Guide de rédaction pour une information accessible (Ruel, Kassi, Moreau & Mbida Mballa, 2011) • Editing workshops
Adaptation of information pamphlets into easy-reading language• How to prepare for an emergency• Alcohol• Anxiety• Restaurant• Fitness• Grieving
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Persons who need easy-
reading documents to increase their
full participation
Tiré et adapté de Directives pour les documents faciles à lire, Tronbacke et IFLA, 1999
Personnes âgées
Enfants / Élèves dansdes écoles primaires
Immigrés récents
Dyslexiques
Personnes DMC/DACMP
Autistes
Sourds en pré-
langage
Sourds et
aveugles
Analphabètes fonctionnels
Personnes présentant une
déficience Intellectuelle
Personnes aphasiques
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Strategies
Sensitization activities Cities … Universal design committees …Public
services … Universities Development of Research projects
Accessible intervention plan – and assessment of resilience
Developing a program to support children, families and dental workers in improving autistic children’s oral health
To document the support-team requirements for helping an adult with disabilities to integrate into a workplace, assisted with ICT devices
Requirements for university communities to welcome and better serve students in situation of handicap24
