In addition, they discuss three developmental levels of literacy. Emergent literacy refers to the development of concepts about print, which usually occurs during the preschool years. Basic literacy refers to literacy experiences which occur during the school years. Functional literacy refers to the literacy experiences involved in daily life, such as filling out a job application, keeping an address book, and labeling items. Functional illiteracy refers to being unable to use reading and writing to meet one's everyday needs.
Marginal illiteracy refers to being unable to use print at all.
General literacy refers to the use of literacy to improve the quality of life for themselves and others. A person's level of literacy has a direct impact on both physical and psychological well-being. It affects emotional well-being by enabling independence and confidence. These factors are what make literacy so important for blind and visually impaired students, their families, and their teachers. Despite the increasing attention being given to braille literacy in professional literature, the fact that instruction in reading and writing in braille is not always available to students who need it and does not always include instruction in the use of tools which blind adults find necessary is painfully obvious.