WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) has released a new special report entitled “Literacy: One of the Great Miracle Cures.” Subtitled, “Resolving the Limitations Illiteracy Places on the Human Spirit,” noted author Karen Mains explains that illiteracy is a multi-faceted . . . problem that results in [fewer] job opportunities and low income, often poverty.” Statistical evidence has consistently demonstrated that increasing the literacy of individuals also dramatically enhances the society in which those people live. Illiteracy is a global problem, with some developing countries experiencing illiteracy rates as high as 50 percent. But the special report also reveals that more than 36 million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above the third-grade level. The report also cites a list compiled by the Literacy Foundation of the personal and community consequences of illiteracy.

Personal consequences

• “A limited ability to obtain and understand essential information;
• “An unemployment rate two to four times higher among those with little schooling compared to those with bachelor’s degrees;
• “Lower income;
• “Lower-quality jobs;
• “Precarious financial position;
• “Little value given to education and reading within the family, often leading to the intergenerational transmission of illiteracy;
• “Low self-esteem, which can lead to isolation;
• “More workplace accidents, longer recovery times, and more misuse of medications due to not understanding health care resources and procedures.

Community consequences

• “Many positions remain vacant for lack of adequately trained personnel;
• “The higher the proportion of adults with low literacy proficiency, the slower the overall long-term GDP growth rate is;
• “Difficulty understanding societal issues lowers the level of community involvement and civic participation.”

In fact, the total annual lost productivity in the U.S. workplace due to low literacy is estimated at about $225 billion.

Much like a health epidemic, illiterate people suffer first, but the communities in which those people live and work eventually suffer as well. Like many diseases, illiteracy can be cured – and it doesn’t take pharmaceutical research or rocket scientists to help the illiterate become “literally healthy.”

Read the report to learn about some of the work being done to raise literacy levels in America and around the globe.

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