Literacy Facts

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Did You Know That...

The National Adult Literacy Survey of 1992 estimates that 40-44 million Americans function at the lowest literacy level; that is, they can read a little but not well enough to fill out an application, read a food label, or read a simple story to a child.
An estimated 100,000 adults in Marion County read at the lowest level of literacy, based on state literacy survey statistics and local census data.
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 defines literacy as an individual's ability to read, write, speak English, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one?s goals, and develop one?s knowledge and potential.
The term "functional illiteracy" refers to those individuals who, even knowing how to read and write simple phrases, do not have the basic aptitudes to satisfy the demands of their daily needs nor to develop themselves personally and professionally.
The Department of Labor estimates that illiteracy costs businesses and taxpayers $225 billion a year through workplace accidents, lost productivity, unrealized tax revenues, welfare payments, and crime.
Illiteracy affects us all, especially through the taxes we pay to support social services. Adults with low literacy skills are more likely to live in poverty, be unemployed or underemployed, receive Medicaid, and depend upon food stamps and other public assistance.
The American Medical Association is concerned that individuals with low literacy skills are at risk of not being able to understand prescription bottles and other medical information, resulting in increased incidents of medication and treatment errors and higher rates of hospitalization.
The Department of Justice reports that nationwide, nearly 70 percent of all people entering state correctional facilities have not completed high school and 14 percent have had no high school education at all. According to the report "Literacy Behind Prison Walls," 70 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate or read below the fourth-grade level.
The National Center for Family Literacy reports that research shows children?s literacy levels are strongly linked to the literacy levels of their parents, especially their mothers. Literate adults raise healthier and more successful children.