This month’s campaign focuses on literature, and therefore I have decided to feature a nonprofit which focuses on literacy. We all take reading for granted, and sometimes forget that some people are not fortunate enough to be able to read.

Newspapers, Television headlines, the internet, and everything around is is filled and saturated with text; yet so many of us are unable to read it. The U.S. Department of Education’s 2003 statistics suggest that 14% of the population – or 32 million adults – have very low literacy skills. Of the 774 million illiterate adults worldwide, two-thirds are women.

Since 1956, International Reading Association (IRA) has been a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy.  More than 70,000 members strong, the Association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities.  Our members promote high levels of literacy for all by:

• Improving the quality of reading instruction
• Disseminating research and information about reading
• Encouraging the lifetime reading habit

Suggested Canadian Literacy Resources
- International Adult Literacy Survey. Report called Reading the Future is available online through
Statistics Canada at www.statcan.ca or tel: 1-800-263-1136.
- Movement for Canadian Literacy, online at www.literacy.ca or tel: 613-563-2464.
- National Literacy Secretariat, online at www.nald.ca/nls.htm or tel: 819-953-5280.

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