Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 64 - Number 3 - November 2024 - Working with learners with (dis)abilities: How New Literacy Studies challenge the Ontario government’s policy focus on employment for adult literacy

Oct 15, 2026

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The paper examines how New Literacy Studies can challenge Ontario government policy that frames adult literacy primarily as a labour market tool for employment. Drawing on the authors’ shared experience as volunteer tutors and paid staff in Canadian adult literacy programs since the 1980s, it describes how learners with physical, mental, and cognitive (dis)abilities face compounded barriers from poverty, discrimination, and inadequate infrastructure. Using learner-centred narratives, the authors argue that employment-focused accountability systems can marginalise social justice aims and exclude learners, while highlighting possibilities for literacy education connected to social and historical contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Our stories

New Literacy Studies

Working with learners with (dis)abilities

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 64, Number 3, November 2024 Working with learners with (dis)abilities: How New Literacy Studies challenge the Ontario government’s policy focus on employment for adult literacy Annie Luk University of Toronto, Canada Judy Perry, Toronto District School Board, Canada Phylicia Davis-Wesseling KGO Adult Literacy Program, Canada The three of us met in 2014 through our shared interest in adult literacy. We are colleagues as practitioners and as researchers; altogether, we have been in the field of adult literacy in Canada since the 1980s. Our experiences working with learners come from our role as volunteer tutors and paid staff in provincially funded programs and grassroots initiatives funded only through private donations. Over the years, we have worked with learners who have diverse physical, mental and cognitive abilities. For many of these learners who have to contend with day-to-day challenges and discrimination stemming from their (dis)abilities, their learning is further compounded with their struggle with poverty due to the paltry financial support from the government. As we develop and evolve our approaches to support learners in their goals, we put into practice the principles Working with learners with (dis)abilities: How New Literacy Studies challenge the Ontario 501 government’s policy focus on employment for adult literacy from New Literacy Studies (Gee, 2020; Papen, 2023; Street, 1997) to connect literacy education with the social and historical contextsand to support learners in defining their own literacy. In this paper, each of us shares a story from our own practice to highlight how we offer a learner-centred approach to build a social practice of literacy for both the learners and ourselves as educators. While we use our stories to challenge the dominant narrative of literacy education for employment as seen in government policies (Elfert & Walker, 2020; Elias 2023; Walker & Rubenson, 2014), we also share our own learning, unlearning and relearning of how we define adult literacy as educators. The learner-centred approach in literacy education may not appear especially radical on its own; however, under the increasing pressure from the state to use adult literacy as a labour market tool, the possibility of pursuing learning outcomes other than employment could challenge the deficit narratives that are far-too-often attached to literacy learners with (dis)abilities (Elias et al., 2021). Keywords: adult literacy, practitioners, policy actors Introduction It is not news to say that many adult literacy learners are faced with multiple barriers and obstacles making not only their access to education difficult, but also day-to-day living challenging (Jacobson, 2021).For learners who have physical, mental and/or cognitive impairments, the lack of infrastructure and support in adult literacy policy further adds to the already difficult situation as they are often considered as unsuitable to participate in adult literacy programs (Elias et al., 2021; Pickard, 2021). Despite the difficulties, learners continue to pursue literacy on their own terms, sometimes pushing back against negative narratives of who they are (Bacon et al., 2022).Their travailsand experiences as played out in education and community spaces are witnessed by adult literacy practitioners who are or should be part of the collective process for change through reflections and understanding of the systems of oppression (Babino & Stewart, 2020; Elias et al., 2021; Tett & Maclachlan, 2008). As practitioners in the field of adult literacy in Canada with experiences 502 Annie Luk, Judy Perry and Phylicia Davis-Wesseling spanning over the last three decades, we have observed many instances where the education system does not meet the needs of learners.In the Canadian province of Ontario, where we all work as practitioners, adult literacy programming known as Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS

FAQs

What policy focus does the paper challenge in Ontario adult literacy?

It challenges the Ontario government’s policy focus on using adult literacy primarily for employment, treating literacy as a labour market tool.

Why do learners with (dis)abilities face additional barriers, according to the authors?

The authors describe compounded difficulties from discrimination and poverty, alongside gaps in infrastructure and support that can make these learners seem unsuitable for adult literacy programs.

How do New Literacy Studies relate to the authors’ proposed approach?

They use New Literacy Studies to connect literacy education with social and historical contexts and to support learners in defining their own literacy through a learner-centred approach.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz