Hull Daily Mail from Hull, Humberside, England • 8

aPV-v 8 HULL OAILY MAIL MONDAY SEPTEMBER 25 1989 One in 10 adults country are illiterate women may have problems because when they were young it was the done thing to keep girls at home to look after younger children Some may have been evacuated during the war Middle-aged men may have been encouraged to leave school early to find work and support the family And younger people may have suffered childhood illnesses or have had to move schools often" explains Helen "The causes arc many and varied but the result is the same a crippling problem that will never go away unless the sufferer is brave enough to get help" Helen is keen to stress that at adult literacy classes people arc treated as adults not like children and everyone gets help at their own pace having to put pen to paper at all costs "One woman even bandaged her hand up every time she had to go to the DSS so they would have to fill the forms in for her" says Helen Comiskey an adult literacy tutor in Hull "People go through all sorts of subterfuges to avoid admitting the fact that they read "They think that reading is something everyone ought to be able to do well and feel ashamed that they arc different" adds Helen who is currently launching the latest adult literacy campaign through the adult education centres Illiteracy traps one adult in every 10 in a web of loneliness and shame And the men and women who suffer from it often go to ridiculous lengths to avoid their embarrassing secret from being discovered by the rest of the outside world Instead of asking for help they their reading glasses or avoid Stephen Gadie learning to read and write has changed his life Stephen There arc 50 classes with room for up to 500 local people to learn the basics of reading writing arithmetic and even common problems like filling a cheque book in reading a map and understanding a train timetable small things to most of us but major hurdles 'o people suffering from some degree of illiteracy But getting the people who need help to come forward is another matter "They think they arc the only ones in the world with the problem" says Helen they came along they would see just how common a problem it is experts estimate that 10 per cent of the population suffer" Stephen Gadie failed his maths GCSE this summer along with hundreds of disappointed schoolchildren But just being able to sit the exam was a small miracle in the life of 36-year-old Stephen Three years ago he could barely read or write and know one end of a mathematical puzzle from another It intellect Stephen was lacking it was the basic grounding in the three Rs the rest of us take in our stride during our schooldays For Stephen is one of the six million people in Britain who suffer from illiteracy In his ease a serious childhood accident was to blame for his missing out on a good basic education At the age of eight he was badly scalded by a leaking hot water bottle and had to miss two months of schooling A shy boy when he got back to class he was too embarrassed to admit that he was way behind in his lessons and the more he struggled to understand subjects his classmates had grasped weeks before the worse things got 'I didn't dare to ask for help and eventually began playing truant because my school life was so unhappy" says Stephen who left at the age "of 14 to emigrate to Australia with his parents His lack of an education matter too much at first he quickly found work labouring in Australia and when his family moved back to Hull three years later he managed to land a factory welding job "1 read a paper properly and 1 would never have dreamed of filling in a form or writing a letter" recalls Stephen who is now studying a City and Guilds course in Caring and undertaking a work placement at Rosemount Residential Home For The Elderly in Pearson Park the hairdresser you have always wanted recommended he try adult literacy classes and after getting over his initial embarrassment Stephen has never looked back "I was worried I would be the worst in the class but once I realised there were lots of other people with the same problem it was easy "There is a really caring atmosphere at the centre and lots of help from people who treat you as equal adults not children" adds Stephen who discovered he had a talent for helping others less fortunate than himself by tutoring basic skills to groups of mentally handicapped people at the centre "Now got my self-respect back made lots of new friends 1 can fill a form in read properly and undertand most maths" he says proudly "And working towards a job I can really enjoy" adds the man who even use a dictionary three years ago "But more importantly not nervous about tackling anything I might not be able to do it but I will definitely have a go" he says brimming with confidence And Stephen is applying his positive attitude to that elusive maths GCSE "I successful this time but going to take it again" he says with a grin "And next time going to pass" A tutor will even visit you in your own home to discuss initial fears and embarrassment in confidence before finding the right class to suit "When you stop to think about how often we use our reading skills throughout the course of a day -from reading the label on the cereal packet first thing in the morning along with the post then consulting a bus timetable reading a newspaper on the way to work and following the instructions in a recipe when we get home to cook the tea before settling down with the TV guide for the evening you suddenly realise how much we rely on them "Day to day life for anyone with literacy problems is anything but normal and the strain of living in fear of discovery can be terrible" adds Helen "We want these people to realise they arc not alone" A confident and articulate man Stephen owes his new life to the adult literacy course at The Avenues Centre in Hull he started three years ago "I am a different person now I can read and write properly and understand maths" says Stephen "As I got older I found life becoming more and more difficult because I have the same basic skills as everyone else" he recalls "My friends classed me as a dunce and drifted away and then I was made redundant and lost my last little bit of self-respect" adds Stephen who confesses he thought the only answer to his problems lay in turning to drink 'People who can read and write properly realise how much of a struggle everyday life is for people who words are everywhere and if you understand them almost like living in a foreign country" he explains Then the Restart job agency 15-17 PARAGON ARCADE PARAGON STREET HULL Tel 224976 is a problem not only related to the elderly illiteracy covers all age groups £3 DISPLAY OF NEW HEARING AIDS MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10 am 4 pm NEW FROM AMERICA ASP Introducing aid with Automatic Signal Processors which separate speech from background noise as it occurs Available "in the ear" and in "over ear" aids HEARING AIDS TAKEN IN PART-EXCHANGE We carry an extensive range of cords and accessories and stock DURACELL BATTERIES No 401 13 675 312 1500 Popular sizes at greatly reduced prices We also supply DOUBLE LIFE ZINCJ AIR BATTERIES We advertise nationally and can offer lowest possible prices with discounts for pensioners Our qualified consultant is ordinarily present to give sympathetic expert advice totally free of charge Also because we are local we are pleased to offer our Home Visit Service to Yorks residents BUY LOCALLY BUY WISELY SPEEDY REPAIRS to all makes of aids (estimates given) SUPPLIERS TO SCHOOLS HOSPITALS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OPEN 10am to 4 pm Monday to Friday lout of hours by appointment) ERIC FISHER FSHAA MRSH ACIB HILL HEARING SERVICE 2 PERCY STREET ALBION STREET HULL HU2 8HH Telephone 29173 (Established 35 years) PS To avoid contusion with other centres please note we are fje St comer ot Percy Street nest to Bright yet Ask for the HILL HEARING SERVICE Spectacular Shades Colours are changing all around us as summer turns to fall And once again the Hull Daily seasonal extravaganza of fashion is here to introduce the latest colours and styles Our Shades Of Autumn fashion show features 38 stunning scenes of autumnwear -for trendy tots beautiful brides the discerning man and fashion-conscious women of all ages Presented by BBC Look North presenter Sue Wilkins even a special showcase section presented by internationally renowned British designer Jean Muir Shades Of Autumn is being staged this who sell novel fun beauty products that are natural The autumn issue of Fashion and Craft magazine crammed with advice and hints for budding home designers is also included in our goodie bag selection along with discount vouchers from some of the shops featured in the show a copy of the Hull Daily Mail and glossy cookery brochures donated by Lea Perrins makers of the most versatile sauce Their Good Taste Guide is full of mouthwatering recipes using Worcestershire sauce in everything from spicy scrambled egg to i and even ice cream a a a va la 1 1 LA LA mail order firm around Cosmetic To Go jugged chicken.