AIBU to think that people working in certain occupations should be given some training in recognising when people have literacy problems and act accordingly...

[Allthingspretty]

..especially when they are asking people to fill out forms and therefore act accordingly?

I have been thinking about this for a while and think more places like dental surgeries etc need to have an awaremess.of how complicated some.forma seem to those people qho sreuggle with their literacy and.could be classed as functionally illiterate?

If people need help with forms they should ask for it. Spending £1500 a head on "illiteracy recognition bootcamp" is not the route to economic recovery.

No, I don't think people need training to recognise when grown adults might need help and be incapable of asking for it.

I understand that people may need help, but they could ask for that help without people having pointless training.

I honestly do think people need help recogmising when people have literacy problems.I saw someone today struggling with forms and the staff around them too busy having a gossip to notice.

A couple of hours training would help.

There should certainly be more awareness of the percentage of people that are functionally illiterate.

It would help if public buildings were required to take the difficulties some people face into account. Hospital signage in particular could be much improved, it varies vastly in quality between hospitals.

And many, many forms could be written and designed in simpler fashion, without convoluted phrasing and ambiguous questions.

Its also not as simple as asking for help completing forms as many people will not admit to struggling with forms.

Guidelines would help even if training wasn't provided.

But the person who was struggling could have asked for help.

You are expecting a lot of receptionists if you want them to take the risk of offering help to someone who may not want it. A lot of people are likely to react quite badly to being asked.

Please note "in certain occupations" in the op.

I think this phrase means the the answer is obviously yanbu.

YANBU. And there are graver consequences that embarrassment- JSA is dependent on filling out a log which is beyond the capabilities of many.

Wouldn't it be better to just offer people literacy courses?

Well, why didn't you offer to help them?
As a teacher, I often had parents in one school pop in after hours to ask for help with all sorts of forms, we all did.
If you saw they were struggling, why is it someone else's job?

"Certain occupations" presumably amounts to any public facing role that may involve the public having to read something. Millions of employees.

People need to have personal responsibility for themselves, if they can't read, ask. It's not reasonable to expect the rest of the world to have expensive training to work round every individual need people might have.

I work where there are forms to fill in and a lot of people simply use the excuse that they have forgotten their glasses. Saves everyones dignity

Many adults will not want to admit to other adults that they cant do things that people will expect of them simply because of their age. All I am saying is to have more awareness and sensitivly offer help.

Given how many people are functionally illiterate, I think those who enjoy the benefits of being able to read and write can cope with a little offence occasionally, if it helps get other people the services they need.

Clouds are you serious? Can you imagine not only not being able to read but how excruciating it must be having to ask for help.
It would be good practice to fill the form out by asking questions- obviously there are some instances where the information is sensitive, but it shouldn't be beyond the capabilities of any half sensitive practitioner to accommodate everyone's needs.

And as I said, it's not specialised support. anyone could help who had a reasonable level of literacy. Or yet again is it one of those 'Something Ought To Be Done But Not By Me' posts?

Clouds I agree about the literacy courses .I didnt offer to help because I didnt want to embarrass the peraon and the information being asked for might jabe been sensitive.

You see someone struggling in any arena and you ask if you can help.
They may tell you to piss off, but you've offered.

It's a shame if people in customer-facing roles don't seem aware, and if training is what's needed to make them aware, so be it.

I should imagine it's not all that easy for some people to ask for help

YANBU I work with dyslexic groups and with minority groups that have low literacy rates. Ironically even charities that have been given funding specifically to work with these groups often ask them to complete forms
Some of those who are dyslexic are termed as disabled and I don't think it's unreasonable at all to expect staff to be trained in considering and making allowances for people with a disability.
The attitude that 'they should just ask for help' typifies the lack of understanding that dyslexic adults face and actually illustrates why such training is needed [clambers down from soapbox]

Eyes it's a simple matter of recognising when people might have problems and offering help sensitivly and allowing people to have their dignity.

I think all HCPs should be aware of the issue.
If we have an illiterate patient on the ward it is always mentioned at handover so the HCAs know to help them with their menu.
So many people are too ashamed to admit they have a problem.

Unfortunately some adults will not access literacy courses as they may have had it engrained in them at school or at home as children, that they are just "too stupid" to learn to read.

Especially if they attended school in an era before problems like dyslexia were recognised. And children tended to be told and accept that lack of academic achievement was their failing.

The self-esteem problems that can be created by trying to function in modern life with functional illiteracy, and by other people's reactions to people who struggle with reading/writing, are huge obstacles to seeking help.

I think everyone, especially in healthcare, should have all their paperwork read by someone with low literacy. I am an English teacher with a good degree and I sometimes struggle with forms, instructions or signs. If I can't follow something, someone with the literacy levels of a child has no chance. It makes me quite angry that people must be getting shut out from accessing services because their literacy isn't good enough. (And yes, I am aware teachers have a part to play in this, but everyone should work together, and some people are never going to have a high literacy level no matter what.)