Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j8S3TRG12130; Tue, 27 Sep 2005 23:29:27 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 23:29:27 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <LOBBICLOAFKBEPDBHIAJIECKGBAA.l.cuttler@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Lucille Cuttler" <l.cuttler@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4821] Re: Literacy thoughts X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 5828 Lines: 129 Archie, I echo Kristina! My thanks for saying succinctly and politely the TRUTH. Lucille Cuttler -----Original Message----- From: nifl-health@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-health@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Kristina Anderson Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 10:19 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4817] Re: Literacy thoughts Archie, you never cease to amaze me. Your voice is such an important one. Thank you, again, for your contributions to the field. You are an inspiration! Kristina >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kristina Anderson Writer, Editor, Consultant EasyRead Copywriting PO Box 6146 Albuquerque, NM 87197 505-345-3258 (Office) 505-715-1070 (cell) kristina@easyreadcopywriting.com http://www.easyreadcopywriting.com "Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, and picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light." Joseph Pulitzer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Archie Willard" <millard@goldfieldaccess.net> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 3:27 PM Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4816] Literacy thoughts I recently attended the Pfizer 8th National Health Literacy Conference in DC. There were many good discussions, panels, and speakers and much was learned at this conference. With their Health Literacy Conferences, Pfizer is bringing awareness and a better understanding about literacy throughout our country, not only to physicians and health professionals, but to the rest of society. To my knowledge I was the only person at this conference with a literacy problem so my viewpoints may be a little different. I think my voice was needed at the conference. I said some things at the conference that needed to be said by someone who has lived these things. One of the speakers was Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives. He is chairman of the Gingrich Group, a communications and consulting firm and spoke to us about some state of the art medical care that will be coming in the future and how useful it will be. He told us about how cell phones can be a part of better health care if you can afford the technology. This sounds great and it will bring better health care to many. But, because of lack of skills and/or money this new medical technology will not benefit all people. As I look at the gap between the haves and have-nots in this country and envision the skills and money that people will need to use technology, I feel a lot of people will be left out. I think we have a lot of things to do before everyone can access this technology. What happened in New Orleans’s is a big reminder of how some people have been left behind. Our country can do better and it should because it is the right thing to do. A lady from New York who teaches adults to read challenged Mr. Gingrich about his plan. She asked how she would be able to keep her reading students at a level to use this new technology or to keep up with it when reading programs are under funded and have been on the cutting blocks by the government. Mr. Gingrich told us he knows of a reading program that people could learn to read by if only they would try. He did not name this program or tell how to access it. I have struggled with reading all my life and have been looking for a magical reading program. I would like to ask him to please share this program with all of us. I want to assure Mr. Gingrich that I have tried hard to learn to read and I have worked with others to learn to read and I can tell you it is not easy to learn to read as an adult. When I was in an adult literacy program in the past, there were good literacy programs, but Congress has changed them. Now literacy programs spend about 40% of their time doing paper work and reporting to the government. Consequently, fewer people are benefiting. Knowledge and information are power in a person’s life. People who don’t read lack knowledge and information and they become powerless. If there are no opportunities to learn to read and write people become slaves to society. Many organizations, volunteers, and people who have given time and money have helped adult literacy across the country, but literacy is too big a problem in this country. Our government needs to get involved in literacy and to help. If government wants to give freedom to the millions of people with reading problems they will need to declare war on illiteracy. Government needs to make sure that there are good literacy programs for everyone who needs literacy help. This country has done some good things when it wants to. One of the best things to happen in health literacy is the video “Help Your Patients Understand”. This video has real people with literacy problems talking to real doctors about real medical problems. It has brought awareness about literacy problems to many physicians and to the medical field that just didn’t realize what a problem there is with literacy in our country. There has been better understanding between physicians and patients as a result of this video. When we make improvements in literacy and in health literacy we help both causes at the same time. In a democracy, being able to learn to read and write should be a right for all and people should have that opportunity to learn to read and write throughout their lifetime. When Congress looks to make cuts in the budget, literacy programs should not be looked at as old programs that have served their purposes and then cut. There will always be a need for them. Archie Willard -- Archie Willard URL - http://www.readiowa.org/archiew.html __________ NOD32 1.1231 (20050923) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com
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