FAQ
Literacy Facts
According to the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, there are approximately 137,000 adults in Oklahoma City who are considered functionally illiterate. Functionally illiterate means they have difficulty reading a newspaper, filling out a job application, reading road signs, etc.
Roughly 80 percent of the people who have difficulty reading possess some form of learning disability.
Community Literacy Centers sees approximately 1,000 adults each year. Of those, about 85 percent of CLC’s students live at or below the poverty level.One in every 10 drivers cannot read the road signs.
Individuals with low reading skills are at risk of not understanding vital legal and medical documents.
On average, an illiterate adult earns 42 percent less than a high school graduate.
Forty-four percent of American adults do not read a book in the course of a year.
One in five American adults is functionally illiterate.
How can a person grow into adulthood without gaining the ability to read?
-Their parents may have been illiterate.
-Their family may have moved often from city to city.
-They may have suffered a childhood illness and missed large amounts of school.
-They may have learning disabilities.
-They may have just been "left behind."
3707 S. Blackwelder Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73119 | (405) 524-7323 okcread@aol.com
© 2008 Community Literacy Centers. All Rights Reserved.