The Adults Who Can't Read

Comments · 2.4K

• SA

  @saudade7842 · 5 years ago

  My great grandfather was illiterate.  He was raised rolling tobacco.  He would soak his boots in a muddy puddle so that they would bend/stretch/soften because they were too small.  I heard he was one of the kindest people my mom knew, he just never learned to read.

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• PS

  @Psychwriteify · 5 years ago (edited)

  This really puts Dolly Parton's book program into perspective. She's not just doing a sweet thing, it's a systemic problem and she probably knows it.

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• ES

  @esthermcafee5293 · 5 years ago

  When my son was little, we lived in a neighbourhood with very low literacy rates. Our son struggled with reading and writing, but when we met with the teacher he told us he simply didn’t have the resources to help - our son wasn’t at grade level, but there were kids in his class that didn’t understand that every letter makes a sound - let alone that you could combine letters into new words. The teacher sent us home with a packet of materials; when we read it we were shocked at the things that were ‘tips for parents’:<br><br>- don’t make fun of your child for reading (don’t call them a geek or a nerd)<br>- don’t punish them for reading instead of doing something else (like playing outside)<br>- don’t call them dumb if they’re struggling/ask for help <br>- don’t take away books as a punishment <br><br>It really shone a light on the problems of systemic illiteracy. If you can’t read well, and your child comes to you for help, are you going to admit you struggle? I can see why you’d just tell your kid to go do something else.

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• RF

  @rfldss89 · 5 years ago

  On a somewhat related note: For all of Reddit&apos;s faults, at least subreddits dedicated to helping people out with seemingly menial tasks actually do so. Everytime I&apos;ve seen a post by an autistic or socially anxious person asking for help regarding grocery shopping or whatever, people actually help out and explain it in as much detail as necessary. Even when neurotypical people ask questions that are immediately clarified by a 5 word answer and realise how obvious it was, there was still someone who actually responded withiut judgement or disdain. I really appreciate that side of reddit.

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• RA

  @raaid22 · 5 years ago

  Literacy is a privilege that many take for granted. Where you are born, economic status, and ability to learn (which you have no control over) greatly influence your &nbsp;likelihood of becoming literate.

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• PS

  @PsychoSocialism · 5 years ago

  I worked for a couple of years with a man in his 50s. He told me that he never learned to read because of dyslexia, back in his time it wasn&apos;t even named. He told me he had reparied pianos for 10 years, gone to night school to relearn it in his 30s and to this day his handwriting was so difficult to read it became a running joke on the team. Still one of the kindest and hardworking people I ever met. He was not stupid or lazy.

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• CR

  @Crypt-Kitty · 5 years ago

  I got called illiterate a lot as a child because I have dsylexia. I dont think people understand how hard people work to not appear as such. I would cry almost any time I had to work on reading or wrighting, because I didn&apos;t want people to think I was stupid. Thank you for this very &nbsp;good video.

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• JO

  @johntaylor4787 · 5 years ago

  I&apos;m functionally literate, or at least I think I am, and some instruction writers just suck at writing instructions

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• OK

  @okawesome2746 · 4 years ago

  When I was in my teens I met a friend of my brother&apos;s, a twelve year-old who was illiterate. He was a victim of parents who pulled him out of school for their religious beliefs despite not having the time or money to properly homeschool him, and his education was extremely lacking as a result. He asked my brother to help him with extremely basic things, like reading the right options on a video game start menu. Twelve years old may seem young, but in my area that was around the age that children start to have a bit of freedom, from walking to school to doing basic grocery shopping. This kid was completely helpless in so many small tasks. I cannot imagine being an adult and being unable to read.

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• TI

  @Tinyvalkyrie410 · 5 years ago

  I HATE it when I see people online point out a spelling or grammar issue in order to “disprove” (see: dismiss) the point they are making. I find it truly infuriating, and I will always call people out on it, even if it means I end up defending someone I fundamentally disagree with. Not understanding how to use a comma has nothing to do with being right or wrong.

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• CR

  @crazywoollady9325 · 5 years ago

  Ok seriously though... does anyone know if this woman figured out her car seat in the end? &nbsp;Does anyone know how to contact her? &nbsp;Most fire departments will happily install a car seat for you, ensure it&apos;s set up correctly/safely, etc. &nbsp;No judgement and no fee. &nbsp;Sometimes they&apos;re even able to give you a free car seat if you need one, but that depends on the specific station. &nbsp;<br><br>I&apos;d personally be happy to help this person if there&apos;s a way to know if help is still needed. &nbsp;How horrible that she was treated this way! &nbsp;I&apos;m Indigenous. &nbsp;My family has a whole host of issues around schooling/education (research residential schools for Indigenous kids if you don&apos;t know the history... but be warned, it&apos;s fucking bad and I know people who get re-traumatized when they have to think about it). &nbsp;I&apos;m the first generation in my family who wasn&apos;t forced into these residential schools. &nbsp;A lot of my older family members don&apos;t read or write very well. &nbsp;Some don&apos;t read or write at all. &nbsp;They&apos;re great people though, some of the most kind hearted, quickest to offer a helping hand people I&apos;ve ever come across. &nbsp;How gross that this woman was made to feel like shit when she was trying to get help making sure her baby was safe!

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• D0

  @D0N0H0 · 5 years ago

  I&apos;ve been a literacy ableist without realizing it. &nbsp;Thank You for providing an opportunity to recognize and correct that.

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