One out of five people in Hawai’i cannot read this sentence. That means they also can’t read menus or road signs. They can’t fill out job applications or help their children with homework.

Think about them for a moment: They are your neighbors, the almost 20 percent of our state’s residents who aren’t functionally literate, who can’t read well enough to perform basic day-to-day duties. And think about the fact that they’re part of a larger group of Americans, 11 million of them across the nation who aren’t functionally literate.

“These are people who have to improve literacy if they want to be able to participate in society,” said Suzanne Skjold, executive director of Hawai’i Literacy. “It’s hugely limiting.”

Hawai’i Literacy opened in the early 1970s and its organizers estimate at least 4,000 people on this island learned to read directly from its programs since then. It offers a number of free courses–sponsored largely by major companies like Bank of Hawai’i, the Hawai’ian Electric Company and Pizza Hut–to adults and families who want to improve their literacy. Skjold said many people hesitate to get help.

“They have coping mechanisms that they’ve developed,” she said. “They guess their way through and are very good at reading the non-literacy clues around them but that takes an enormous amount of energy and effort.”

She said a portion of the people who seek help do so because English is their second language, but many adults look for assistance because they’ve reached a point where they feel they can no longer ignore their inability to read.

“Many, many people will come and get help when they realize they can’t help their children,” said Skjold. “Imagine the challenge of a child coming home for help with homework and not being able to do it. That motivates a lot of people.”

The program offers one-on-one tutoring and group classes. Those interested can drop in any week, without having to wait for the start of a specific semester. There are also separate classes for those who are learning English as a second language. Skjold said many of those who avoid getting help do so because they don’t believe they’ll ever be able to learn to read.

“There are people who have lower literacy levels who feel like they can’t learn because they didn’t have a successful experience in school,” she said. “It’s really important that they understand this program is very different. We find that as long as people want to learn, as long as they are motivated and dedicated, they are almost always successful.

Still, the program is popular and growing more and more so. It’s to the point that Hawai’i Literacy has had to designate certain hours for different age groups to visit its libraries and bookmobile. The bookmobile, known by Hawai’i Literacy as its “Classroom on Wheels,” travels to six sites up and down the Wai’anae coast each week. Children can read and check out books, or use the laptops in the bookmobile. There are also books available for young adult and adult readers. Hawai’i Literacy doesn’t charge any late fees, a strategy to encourage people to check out books. Skjold said the turnout for the bookmobile and other libraries has doubled what program directors expected.

“We can’t physically fit all the children in who want to come,” Skjold said. “We are doubling the numbers of children that we expected coming to these book mobiles, too. And the children are voluntarily coming. They see the value in what we’re doing and they want to read.”

Many of Hawai’i Literacy’s tutors work on a volunteer basis. If you’re interested in training to be a volunteer or if you’d like to learn how to donate books, visit [hawaiiliteracy.org], or call 537-6706.

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