Using parts of the Audit Kit we developed workshops on literacy awareness and sensitivity, verbal communication, and we also incorporated elements of the kit into the plain language workshop. A very effective part of the Literacy Audit Kit was the video: Literacy Matters. This video offered important information about accessibility to services. We used the video in presentations and workshops.

How we used the Audit Kit differed slightly from agency to agency, and community to community, however, the heart of the Audit Kit remained steadfast. By keeping the focus on literacy within the organization the sense of ownership and capacity to make literacy sensitive changes was maintained by service providers, managers and volunteers. In other words, agency staff and volunteers did not view adult literacy as an external issue to their work, adult literacy was viewed as a client issue and as such, service providers eagerly assumed responsibility to make their programs and services accessible to individuals who want and need them.

Timeline

The timeline presents a picture of the interdependence of our role as literacy specialists in the community and our work within the team. Our work in each community had a direct influence on our conversations, decisions and actions as a team, which in turn helped us do our work in each community. The team had six full day meetings during the two years and communicated via email and telephone. The literacy specialists worked in their communities twelve hours per week.