Why is Literacy Important to Us All?
Literacy is a social obligation because illiteracy affects us all.
According to the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey, adults who possess higher
levels of literacy skills are more likely to be employed and will earn higher
salaries than those with low literacy skills. Those who are more literate are less
likely to live in poverty. 75% of incarcerated adults and 85% of delinquent youth are illiterate.
Illiteracy drains the nation's businesses of billions of dollars a year. Taxpayers pay $224 billion annually due to expenses incurred by illiteracy such as welfare, remedial education and job incompetency.
Did you know literacy is important for maintaining your health? Literacy and good communication skills mean that you can understand and follow your doctor's instructions for taking proper care of your body.
According to the National Academy on an Aging Society low rates of health literacy skills cause an increase in U.S. health care expenditures totaling $73 billion every year.
Literacy skills are not only necessary for maintaining your health but are necessary for finding a good job. The increasingly competitive
job market requires advanced communication skills more than it ever has in the past. Research shows that the economic worth of a high
school diploma has eroded. In 1940, only 25% of adults were high school graduates. Currently that figure is about 70%.
Kids today can only begin to succeed in a technology-driven, global market with solid reading, communication, and higher-thinking skills.
That is why the Greensheet Education Foundation dedicates free support and services to promote literacy in Texas and Arizona communities to
ensure that success.
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Last Updated August 17, 2004