Oregon Literacy Line Upcoming Events Features Partners in Reading Internships Email OLI Literacy is not easy to define.
Different agencies have different working definitions of literacy.
Here are some of the most important definitions, and their sources. An individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute and solve problems, at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society. National Adult Literacy Survey Using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential. By the year 2000 every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to orient oneself in a rapidly changing world, to find one's voice and be heard, and to act independently as a citizen and as a worker, for the good of one's family, one's community and one's nation. By the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.