Editor's Note: The March 2001 issue of Literacy Clips was not published due to illness. LPQ apologizes for this. In this issue, we will combine key items from the March issue with current news so that we have not overlooked anything.

Health and Literacy Project at LPQ

LPQ recognizes that there is a need to educate health care workers in both urban and rural areas about how to deal with the fact that many of their patients/clients may be missing out on crucial information as a result of low literacy skills.

To help prevent this lack of information from continuing to have very serious outcomes, healthcare workers must be given the tools to work with this clientele. This project, funded by the NLS, was designed to address the gap in understanding and information by educating not only the adult with low literacy skills, but also the healthcare professional. The first phase of this project has been completed. It consists of a short piece of research which identifies the availability of relevant information for healthcare workers in rural and urban areas. It also aims to establish the degree to which healthcare workers are aware of and address literacy issues in their daily activities.

The project will continue over the coming months in a number of healthcare centres and will address the following objectives:

To promote a more acute awareness and understanding of literacy among healthcare workers across the province through education and follow-up.

To promote plain language within the healthcare system.

To develop tools and materials to enable healthcare workers to interact with adults who need additional ways of receiving and understanding health-related information.

Upon completion, an information package containing resources and findings will be made available to interested parties. In the meantime, information about this project will appear in subsequent issues of Literacy Clips.

LPQ's Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA)
Training a Huge Success

LPQ hosted a four-day training session in Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA), an approach which is being used by Corrections Services Canada in a number of correctional facilities.

The training was given by Bea Fisher, a long-time supporter of CEA. She has done a tremendous amount of work with CEA both in teaching and in training practitioners in Canada and the UK.

Participants in Montreal were unanimously thrilled with the four-day session and all have requested that LPQ bring Bea back to do training in Level II. We are arranging for this and hope to be able to have Bea back in October or November, 2001.

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