50th Anniversary of International Literacy Day!

50th anniversary of International Literacy Day

September 8, 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day!   UNESCO officially proclaimed this day to advance the notion of functional literacy throughout the world.  The day celebrates efforts and progress to increase literacy rates around the world, while looking at current challenges.

In the video below, Forest Whitaker talks about some of the ways in which literacy opens doors to new worlds of possibility.  He also notes that despite the progress that has been made, nearly 1 in 8 youth and adults around the world still do not know how to read or write.  This number is much higher for people with disabilities.

 

Read more about International Literacy Day.

Collage of International Literacy Day