The "Guidelines for Counselling Disadvantaged Adults"

... sensitize and inform advisers working in various social areas about different aspects and phenomena of illiteracy or borderline basic skills and, above all, the sociological and cultural background of people affected by it.

Insides into the Life Situations of Functional Illiterates

Detailed information on the backgrounds of "functional illiterates"  comprise aspects of education, profession, factors causing and accompanying reading and writing deficits and common psychological problems resulting from illiteracy. There is also  focus on specific differences and similarities between several social groups affected by basic skills deficits (e.g. juveniles, women, migrants), as well as on general current characteristics and trends of functional illiteracy as a social phenomenon.

Focus on Hiding and Avoidance Strategies

There is particular emphasis on describing the nature of various hiding and avoidance strategies employed by affected people, in order to inform and prepare frontline staff providing guidance and counselling in regard to detection of functional illiteracy.

How to Deal with the Target Group

In addition to this, these guidelines also focus on questions of how to deal with such clients in concrete "outing" situations and suggest some ways of possible reaction. This  includes elements such as how they can help their clients to reflect on their specific situation, abandon avoidance strategies, develop necessary self-confidence and agree on a new start. Finally, this document offers ways of assisting clients with going through respective training programmes, maintaining their motivation and providing methods for escort during and after the period of training.

Seven Language Versions

The Guidelines are available as pdf document for free download in seven languages:

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