National Adult Literacy Database

Authors: ABC Life Literacy Canada

Collection: Learning Materials

Developed in 2011, the Money Matters program sees volunteer tutors from the TD Bank Group go into community learning centres to teach numeracy and financial skills.

This video focuses on the response to the program when it was presented at a centre in London, Ontario, that supports people with disabilities.

The centre's coordinator notes that many of the participants are living at or below the poverty line, and face serious challenges in making their limited resources stretch to cover their needs. The Money Matters program teaches them financial skills that they can apply to their own situations.

For more information about the program, please click here: http://www.MoneyMattersCanada.ca

Funders:

• Government of Canada
• TD Bank Group

Added: 2012-11-06

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Literacy Link South Central Community Development Project, A

Authors: Amy Tooke Lacey

Collection: Research Materials

This report describes a community development project carried out by Literacy Link South Central (LLSC) in Ontario in 2001-02.

The project began when representatives from programs serving persons with special needs asked LLSC for help in reducing the isolation they felt. At the same time, literacy service providers funded by the Literacy and Basic Skills Branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) asked LLSC to explore what literacy services existed in the various communities within the six-county area served by the network.

The project identified community services and best practices; gaps in services; and ways to bridge the gaps. The author notes that while many of the resources described in the report are specifically aimed at people with developmental disabilities, some of the documents may also be useful when working with people who have other disabilities.

Funders:

• OLES

Added: 2003-03-17

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Summary Report

Authors: Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick (LDANB), Troubles d'apprentissage-Association da N.-B. (TAANB)

Collection: Research Materials

The New Brunswick Summit on Learning Disabilities took place at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB, on March 25, 1999. It was co-sponsored by the T.R. Meighen Foundation and the Learning Disabilities Association of NB. The overwhelming observation, voiced again and again by many of the professionals from different disciplines in attendance, was that the needs of people with Learning Disabilities (LD) are not being adequately met by the health and education systems in the province, and that in the interests of both those individuals and the province itself, substantial changes need to be made.
Participants suggested ways to address certain issues and noted the need for early identification and assessment of LD, as well as proper follow-up. The four concerns considered the most urgent were the issue of early identification of LD; the need for education to promote broad awareness of LD in society as a whole; the need for a seamless, cohesive, provincial approach to LD; and the need for a coordinated continuum of programs and services to facilitate the LD student's transition from pre-kindergarten right through to the workplace.

For more information, contact The Meighen Centre at Mount Allison University, 44 Main Street, Sackville, NB E4L 1A7, Tel. (506) 364-2527, Fax (506) 364-2625.

Added: 1999-01-01

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Series: The Employability Issue of Workplace Literacy

Authors: Charles Ramsey, Debbie Burns, Sue Folinsbee

Collection: Research Materials

In these notes, Charles Ramsey presents NALD before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Ramsey also emphasizes the need for the federal government investment and leadership in both workforce and workplace literacy for adult Canadians.

Sue Folinsbee explores the consequences of the government's cuts, especially the 17.7 million dollars to the National office of Literacy and Learning (NOLL). Folinsbee also presents five recommendations. The last one, for example, urges the federal government to consider a joint partnership model with both private and public sector employers and unions along with other important stakeholders to provide a shared vision and plan of action to address the need for workforce and workplace literacy. "We encourage a broad definition of literacy rather than a narrow one that just considers the present job. We encourage multiple entry points for upgrading as well as strategies and initiatives that are flexible and contextual. We discourage a “one size fits all” approach".

Added: 2006-11-03

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See also:

• Notes pour la présentation au Comité permanent des ressources humaines, du développement social et de la condition des personnes handicapées de la Chambre des communes

Series: Best Practice and Innovations

Authors: Lisa Hagedorn

Collection: Research Materials

The goal of this series is to provide important information on three topics of high priority to the literacy community and to highlight new, innovative, and successful practice relevant to LBS-funded agencies across Ontario.

Added: 2003-05-29

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Final Report

Authors: Gary Birch

Collection: Research Materials

This is the final report of a research project conducted by the Neil Squire Foundation. The project's objectives were:
1. To understand the barriers of mainstream literacy training by persons with significant physical disabilities.
2. To develop mechanisms of delivery that address these barriers through a process of active field testing.
3. To establish partnerships with those responsible for the ongoing delivery of literacy training so that these new mechanisms of delivery can be incorporated into a sustainable model.
4. To increase public awareness related to youth issues.

Funders:

• OLES

Added: 1999-01-01

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Series: Literacy Kit for Adults with FASD

Authors: Regina Community Clinic

Collection: Learning Materials

This document is part of a literacy kit for adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a permanent brain injury that occurs while the fetus is developing during pregnancy. People with FASD have problems processing information and may struggle to understand what they hear and read.

This module covers a variety of writing and grammar topics, including journaling; sentence fragments; capitalization and punctuation; creative writing; and workplace communication.

For each topic, there is a teacher’s guide that sets out objectives, gives an overview of the concepts covered, and lists materials required.

There are also student handouts and, where relevant, practice exercises. In the module on Workplace Experience, there is also a sample job application, as well as teacher’s notes on job skills, such as the need for plain language.

Added: 2012-04-23

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Series: Literacy Kit for Adults with FASD

Authors: Regina Community Clinic

Collection: Learning Materials

This document is part of a literacy kit for adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a permanent brain injury that occurs during pregnancy while the fetus is developing. People with FASD have difficulty processing information and often struggle to understand what they hear and read.

This module includes sections on understanding numeric relationships; money values; budgeting; fractions and volume; time; measuring; and problem solving. Each section includes lessons with an introduction and rationale; a list of materials needed; and warm-up exercises.

There are also student handouts and practice exercises.

Added: 2012-05-02

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Series: Literacy Kit for Adults with FASD

Authors: Regina Community Clinic

Collection: Learning Materials

This document is part of a literacy kit for adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a permanent brain injury that occurs while the fetus is developing during pregnancy. People with FASD have problems processing information and may struggle to understand what they hear and read.

In this unit, the objectives are for learners to be able to recognize and read sight words and to be able to read and spell basic one-syllable words. Specific topics include subject and verb; description words; non-action verbs; commands; context clues; using the dictionary; word games to develop memory; and filling out forms.

Because the unit is aimed at people with very low literacy skills, there are no student handouts or formal assignments. Teachers are encouraged to try different approaches to help students learn the material.

Added: 2012-05-09

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NSPGI 2012 Celebrity Guest

Authors: Literacy Nova Scotia

Collection: Learning Materials

This video features Paralympic gold medallist Paul Rosen speaking at the 2012 Nova Scotia Peter Gzowski Invitational (PGI) Golf Tournament.

In an emotional and often funny speech, Rosen describes how he lagged behind his schoolmates in reading and writing, then spent much of his adult life covering up his lack of literacy skills. At 50, he enrolled in a class and was soon reading with confidence and enthusiasm.

The Paralympian, who had one leg amputated when he was 39, also offers a strong message about refusing to be defined by perceived limitations. He describes himself not as a disabled athlete, but rather as an athlete with a disability.

Established in 1986, the PGI Golf Tournament has evolved into a nation-wide annual event that has raised millions of dollars to support literacy initiatives.

Added: 2012-08-10

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