Literacy and Independent Living

By Susan Forster, program manager 

These are comments from four of the 59 men and women with disabilities who took part in a recently completed Independent Living Canada (IL Canada) research project called Making a Connection: Literacy, Disability and Quality of Life. From 2007 to 2010, this initiative sought to document the link between the attainment of literacy skills and an improved quality of life for persons with disabilities. The project was conducted in partnership with two co-investigators from the University of Manitoba (Dr. Diane Driedger and Dr. Nancy Hansen), IL Canada and five Independent Living (IL) Centres (Duncan and Vernon, B.C.; Saskatoon, Sask.; Thunder Bay, Ont; and Halifax, N.S.). 

Coordinators at each of the five sites developed partnerships with local literacy providers to jointly support participants to achieve their literacy goals. The Centres provided expertise on disability and accommodating learners with disabilities, while the literacy providers focused on developing individual programs for each participant. The project used a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach. This model actively involves people with disabilities in project design and delivery. IL Canada employs the PAR approach; it is inclusive and compatible with the IL philosophy that underlies all that we do. 

It has been well documented that Canadians with disabilities have low literacy rates. In fact, they make up a disproportionate amount of the 48 percent of Canadian adults who function at the two lowest literacy levels (Literacy and Disability Study Fact Sheet, literacy.ca). Low literacy rates affect people with disabilities’ access to educational and employment opportunities. Conversely, it is evident that having good literacy skills enables people with disabilities to participate more fully in society, to address barriers to that participation and to exercise their rights as citizens. That is why we were interested in following the individual journeys of those who took part in this project. 

How did we define literacy? We decided to use a plain language, straightforward definition. Literacy is not just about reading, writing and arithmetic—literacy is about “meaning-making.” The opening quotes in the voices of participants illustrate this well. 

How did we define quality of life? There is much research in this area; however, the IL philosophy promotes self-definition of one’s own life. So, we decided that each participant would define what quality of life meant to them and what was needed to live a better life. 

What were our results? The project was highly successful as it improved the quality of life of 56 out of 59 participants. A beneficial outcome was that partnerships with literacy providers continued after the project ended. Another result was that one literacy partner, Okanagan College in Vernon, B.C., decided to use the honorarium paid to them by IL Canada to set up a small scholarship fund to benefit learners with disabilities who enroll in their program. 

How did participants improve their quality of life? Some decided to complete secondary school diplomas or became employed. Many gained self-confidence and the ability to speak up for themselves. Two people had creative writing published, and one group of participants decided to publish their own anthology. Still others are focused on becoming more computer literate, surfing the net and chatting online. At one site, project participants are currently writing a book of helpful hints for eating a healthy diet for people with disabilities living on a small income. 

This research project also led to the creation of new resources. The co-investigators compiled a Partnership Manual, containing ideas on how to facilitate and nurture partnerships with literacy providers. Two research bulletins and three research papers were also produced. 

If we have the opportunity, we will pursue more literacy initiatives in the future. For more about this project, visit the National Projects section of the IL Canada website at ilcanada.ca. The Making a Connection: Literacy, Disability and Quality of Life project was funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada through the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, formerly the National Literacy Secretariat. 

For more information, visit http://www.ilcanada.ca/