Literacy and Inclusion: A shared responsibilityJulie 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 literacyLearning 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 literacyDefinition

“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 LiteracyDefinition

“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

ENVIRONNEMENTCapacity 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

Questions – comments

Thank you !!!!

Julie Ruel

Julie.ruel@uqo.ca

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