The Nature and Future of Literacy: Point and Counterpoint

INTRODUCTION--SUSAN SPUNGIN Literacy represents information and education, the currency of the future. All of us recognize that being able to manage and manipulate information is vital to our economic success, as well as to our dignity and perceived self-worth. It is therefore important that whatever educational system we have, we ensure that there is choice in learning and in access to information now and in the future. Braille has become a symbol of much more than literacy; it is a symbol of the freedom to reach one's potential as an equal, contributing member of society, which is the right of all people. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, of the National Right to Read Foundation, 42 million Americans cannot read, and 50 million are limited to fourth- and fifth-grade reading levels. One out of 4 teenagers drops out of high school, and of those who graduate, 1 out of every 4 has the equivalent of or less than an eighth-grade education. The number of illiterate adults increases by 2.25 million each year. More than half the Fortune 500 companies have become educators of last resort by providing reading and writing courses for their staff members, which has cost them more than $300 million a year. The cost of welfare programs and unemployment compensation because of illiteracy is $6 billion. The English language consists of half a million words, 300 of which we use regularly, three-quarters of the time. The total population of the United States is 262 million. Most schools use a blend of two reading approaches: whole language or look and say and a systematic phonics-first approach. A study conducted by the American Foundation for the Blind indicated that of the 32% of people who are visually impaired (that is, are blind or have low vision) who have held jobs, 90% are literate (Kirchner, Johnson, & Harkins, 1997). Demographic characteristics of people who are visually impaired At present, there are more than 10 million people who are visually impaired and 1.3 million who are legally blind in the United States. This number is presently under debate, with some contending that it is as high as 20 million when people with refractive errors or who wear corrected lenses are taken into account. Of the total number of visually impaired individuals, 1 million are aged 65 and older. There are approximately 93,600 visually impaired or blind students, of whom 10,800 are deaf-blind and enrolled in special education programs. Children who use number 5,500, and adults who use number 80,000. Both the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind have advocated teaching to students with low vision on the grounds that reading large print is often slow and difficult and results in lower literacy rates, problems with eye strain, and limited employment options. In many states, this advocacy has resulted in the passage of braille bills, which mandate that be taught by certified professionals to students who are functionally blind. These bills also require that electronic versions of textbooks be made available that can be converted into braille. Many of the bills also require teachers of students who are visually impaired to demonstrate competence in braille. However, many factors need to be considered when determining the appropriate reading medium for a particular student who is visually impaired. Among these factors are reading speed, preferred reading distance and print size, length of time before the child tires, stability of the eye condition, portability of the skill, and academic achievement. WHAT IS LITERACY? Point--Phil Hatlen I raised some eyebrows in Vancouver at the Getting in Touch with Literacy Conference four years ago when I urged my colleagues to consider a more liberal definition of literacy. I stated that if the only attributes of literacy are the ability to read and write print or braille, then two-thirds of the students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) would be classified as illiterate. …

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