Recognising and discussing low literacy

What it is

You have low literacy (in Dutch: laaggeletterd) if, as an adult, you have difficulty with reading, writing and/or maths. Often a computer or smartphone is then hard to use too. Low literacy is different from illiteracy: someone with low literacy can read and write, but not well enough to take part in everything. This can be due to someone’s language background, education or a disability.

Low literacy is common: it affects about 1 in 5 people aged 16 to 75. That is about 3 million people: about 2.2 million people aged 16 to 65, and about 860,000 people aged 66 to 75 (measured in 2023). People who score low on reading have difficulty with longer texts or with comparing different kinds of information, and eight out of ten of them also score low on maths.

Why it matters

Someone who does not read well has difficulty with letters, medicine leaflets and forms. This makes it harder to find work and to keep on top of money matters. People with low literacy more often have money problems and more often need debt advice, but often do not find their way to that help themselves.

Digital help, such as an app or an online form, is often harder too. Almost 1 in 5 adults find digital healthcare difficult, such as a patient portal, and people who find reading difficult get stuck there sooner. Read more about digital inclusion.

Does your client not do what you agreed? Then it sometimes seems as if they cannot be bothered, but often they have not understood your explanation well. Many people feel ashamed and keep it hidden for a long time. If it does come up, that is often a relief.

How to do it

1. Look out for signs. For example:

   • excuses such as ‘I forgot my glasses’ or ‘I’ll fill that in at home’;
   • ‘My sister always arranges that for me’;
   • not reading along when you explain something on paper or on a screen;
   • having lots of papers, but not knowing which is which;
   • arriving too early, too late or on the wrong day;
   • saying ‘yes’ or nodding to every question, or getting angry when there are many questions;
   • finding it hard to tell a story in the right order.

2. Choose a quiet moment. Talk one to one, without others listening in. Take your time and put your phone away. Do not just cancel an appointment: someone has often planned it long in advance.

3. Make it normal. For example, ask: ‘Lots of people find filling in forms difficult. How is that for you?’ Or: ‘Does anyone ever help you read letters?’ Or offer help: ‘Shall we have a look at it together?’ Start from what someone can do, and tell them they are not the only one and can still learn.

4. Keep at it. Does your client say things are going well, while you have doubts? Come back to it another time.

5. Adapt your own explanations. Use everyday words and be concrete. Then ask your client to say in their own words what you agreed. Also record an appointment as a voice message, or give it to them on a card with pictures and large letters. Read how to write at language level B1 for your clients.

6. Refer them on.

   • To a Taalhuis (a local place where adults can learn language and digital skills). There, the municipality, the library, community work organisations and language course providers work together, often in the library or a community centre.
   • To 0800-023 44 44 or ikwilleren.nl (in Dutch) from Stichting Lezen en Schrijven (the Dutch Reading and Writing Foundation). They look for a course nearby, in a small group or one to one. You can also call together.
   • For forms from the municipality, UWV (the Dutch employee insurance agency) or the Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax authority): the Informatiepunt Digitale Overheid (Digital Government Information Point) in the library.

   Since 2020, Dutch municipalities have been responsible for tackling low literacy. So ask your municipality what is available in your area.

Points to watch

• Also look for signs in people whose first language is Dutch. Almost half (44 per cent) of people aged 16 to 65 with low literacy have Dutch as their first language.
• Ask, and do not assume. Some signs can also point to something else, such as chronic stress.
• Do not just write it in the client file. Only write down what is needed for the support, such as that someone needs more time. A word like ‘low-literate’ usually does not belong there. Tell your client what you write down and why. You usually do not need to ask for consent, because the law already sets out what you may record. Read more about privacy in care and support.
• Choose your words. Say and write ‘someone who finds reading and writing difficult’ rather than ‘a low-literate person’.

Find out more

• What is language level B1?
• Checklist for a text at language level B1