A large segment of our city's population spends every day struggling in shame, silence and frustration as they try to read job ads, menus, bus schedules and simple street signs.
They are the 1.5 million adult New Yorkers who cannot read beyond the fifth grade level. Even though we marked International Literacy Day on September 8, there is little public discussion about adult literacy.
Adult functional illiteracy has a devastating impact not only on the individuals, but also on all of us. Therefore, it is worth pausing momentarily from an act most of us take for granted - reading this newspaper - to contemplate what it must be like to be an adult who cannot read. It is impossible for us to conceive it.
Imagine being unable to decipher and fill out a job application.
Imagine a life in which helping one's child do homework is impossible, or where the most mundane tasks of modern day life are insurmountable obstacles.
We cannot afford to shrug and say “How unfortunate”; nor can we simply hope these parents will find some low-paying job on the economy's underbelly, enabling them and their families to scrape by.
Low literacy affects our children, our community and our economy:
• “Low reading adults” are usually stuck in minimum wage and low paying jobs - making it difficult to provide their children with the resources and stability they need. These children, who already struggle against the odds, now face another daunting roadblock.
• As much as 20% of the American workforce may be functionally illiterate and unable to read instructions, add and subtract or perform other basic job tasks. American businesses lose an estimated $60 billion in productivity each year due to employees' lack of basic skills.
• Experts estimate that by 2020 America will be unable to fill 14 million skilled, highest-paying jobs.
In our information-driven age, adults simply must have adequate literacy skills. Higher-paying factory positions have already shrunk from 32% to 17% of all jobs across the State. Low-wage service jobs remain stagnant at 20% of the job market.
As our city strives to improve our children's education, should it not also be in our long-term interest to invest in literacy education for all New Yorkers?
We cannot afford to do otherwise.
Susan A. McLean is the Executive Director of Literacy Partners, a New York City-based non-profit organization that, every year, provides free classes to help thousands of adults learn the basic reading, writing, math and English language skills needed to succeed in day-to-day living. If you would like to volunteer or know someone who needs help call 212-725-9200 or visit www.literacypartners.org.
