People with low literacy levels are more likely to experience poverty in Canada. One in five Canadians struggle with reading, writing or math, and millions more do not have the essential skills to succeed in today’s economy. The stigma surrounding low literacy, and the everyday systems and tasks that assume strong literacy skills, may affect a person’s ability to find and use the services they need to lift them out of poverty.
 
Over the course of the last year, Frontier College and its research partner, The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, completed a comprehensive review of existing literature, and surveyed and interviewed local and national literacy associations, poverty reduction organizations, service providers, policy makers, researchers, and individuals.