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 j8TH4cG26991; Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:04:38 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:04:38 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <p06100523bf61ce255490@[10.0.1.3]> 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: Kim Harrington <kim.harrington@stucen.gatech.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4822] Re: Another Response to Archie Willard's X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" ; format="flowed" Status: O Content-Length: 8015 Lines: 170 Archie: Thank you for sharing your unique perspective on the Pfizer Health Literacy Conference. As a new student of adult learning, I found your comments enlightening and motivating. I agree that knowledge and information are power and unless more is done with regards to literacy, among other things, the gap between the haves and the have - nots is sure to widen. Mr. Gingrich's comments, and Audrey Riffenburgh's response, about the use of technology struck a chord with me. I work at the Georgia Institute of Technology and as a direct result of this post; I've challenged the students I interact with to consider issues of health literacy and literacy in general in their research and development. By their reactions, I knew it is something they hadn't considered nor had I prior to my recent exposure. You are right Archie; your voice was needed at the conference. Thank you again for sharing your perspective, I have learned a great deal as a result. By the way, does anyone know where to obtain a copy of the video - Help Your Patients Understand? Did Pfizer produce it? Kim Harrington > Greetings: > >I also attended the Pfizer Health Literacy conference Archie Willard wrote >about. Archie, you are so "right on" with your insights. I really appreciate >you coming to the conference and I thank Pfizer for inviting you! Your >perspective was much needed. > >Newt Gingerich illustrated to us all how out of touch many people are with >the reality of life for millions of Americans--those who cannot or simply do >not use print to gain information. No matter how much we want to pretend >that ALL adult Americans can use information on the Internet or use the kind >of technology Mr. Gingerich talked about, it simply isn't true. There are >millions of people in our great country for whom using text of any kind is >just too much work. It's not worth the effort. And even great technology >requires some reading to use it. > >Those of us who create printed materials, forms, signs, web sites, etc. must >keep in mind that our message won't get across if our audiences don't access >it and then read it. If a reader's first try at using a website or reading a >brochure is too tough, he or she most likely won't come back to it. > >Archie is right. We need a "war" on illiteracy at least as much as we need a >war on other social ills. If people can't access information or can't use it >when they get it, they are disenfranchised once again. Let's all take time >to help the educated elite among us understand the reality of life for many >of our citizens! > >Toward health and knowledge for all! > >Audrey Riffenburgh, M.A. >President, Riffenburgh & Associates >Specialists in Plain Language & Health Literacy since 1994 >Albuquerque, New Mexico, US >Phone: (505) 345-1107 >E-mail: ar@plainlanguageworks.com >Faculty, Health Literacy Institute, www.healthliteracyinstitute.net >Principal, The Clear Language Group, www.clearlanguagegroup.com > > >----- 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 -- _________________________________________________________________________ Kim D. Harrington Associate Director - Operations Georgia Tech Student Center 350 Ferst Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0458 404.894.2788
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