Developing Extension Material for Audiences with Low Literacy Rates
From: Zimmerman, M., Newton, N., Frumin, L. and Wittet, S. (1996)
Developing Health and Family Planning Materials for Low-Literate Audiences:
A Guide. Washington D.C., Program for Appropriate Health Technology,
pp. 7-9.
In most parts of the world, village poultry owners have low literacy
rates. This presents a challenge to those preparing extension materials
for such a target audience. Useful guidelines can be found in the manual
entitled “Developing Health and Family Planning Materials for Low-Literate
Audiences: A Guide.” Although the examples used in the manual deal
with human health issues, the methodologies presented apply equally
well to the communication of animal health and production issues. The
manual was developed by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
(PATH) and is available free to developing country organisations or
individuals. All others may order copies prepaid by USD bank cheque
or money order. For more information please write to:
Communication Department
PATH
1990 M Street, N.W., Suite 700
Washington, D.C., 20036, USA
Fax: +1-202-4571466; E-mail: info@path-dc.org
The introductory section of the manual is given below.
Developing Health and Family Planning Materials for
Low-Literate Audiences: A Guide
1. Introduction
Twenty-three percent of the world’s adults cannot read or write. This
proportion is even higher in developing countries. Over half of the
developing world’s adult population is illiterate; there are African
countries in which over three-quarters of the men and women cannot read
or write. But low-literate populations are not confined to the developing
world: in the United States it is estimated that one out of every five
American adults has reading skills below the fifth grade level.
Women currently comprise 64 % of the world’s illiterate population,
and while the number of illiterate males is dropping, the number of
illiterate females continues to grow. Research has shown that high
national fertility rates and low life expectancies at birth are both
associated with high rates of female illiteracy.
In terms of sheer numbers, the illiterate population of the developing
countries is actually rising, while the number in most developed countries
is dropping. It is often precisely this group that is most in need
of information on health care, agriculture, sanitation, water management,
nutrition and other aspects of development. The inverse relationship
between female literacy and infant mortality reinforces the need to
develop informational materials designed specifically for low-literate
groups.
Mass media, such as radio and television, have been successful used
in some areas. Traditional folk media, including puppet shows, theatre
and songs are also valuable. However, while these techniques can augment
and reinforce interpersonal communication, none of them can replace
the interactive learning possibilities afforded by face-to-face communication.
Carefully designed print materials can be used to support the interaction
between health workers and clients; hence, these materials may be called
“support materials.”
This manual offers guidelines for developing health and family planning
support materials for illiterate and low-literate groups worldwide.
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) uses materials development
techniques which rely heavily on the involvement of the audience for
whom the materials are intended (the target audience). Qualitative
research techniques, such as focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth
interviews, can be used to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices
of a target audience with respect to a particular health or family planning
product or behavior.
As informational materials are prepared – from the initial identification
of need through the development of messages and the production of the
piece itself – repeated interaction with representatives of the target
audience is undertaken to ensure that the materials produced are accurate,
well understood and responsive to the audience’s needs and concerns.
Fieldworkers and program managers should also be included in the materials
development process to ensure that the final product meets their criteria
and to give them a sense of “ownership” of the materials, thus increasing
the likelihood that they will use the materials and will encourage others
to do so.
There are many advantages to using print materials in the information,
education and communication (IEC) components of health and family planning
programs. Print materials:
- Come in many forms, such as booklets, package inserts, posters,
fliers, coloring books, comic books and flip charts.
- Are easy to store and can be used without any special equipment.
- Are an excellent tool to reinforce messages presented verbally during
interpersonal contacts.
- Can be used as reference materials should the health provided or
client forget any important messages.
- Provide a means for transmitting standardized information to an
audience beyond the initial recipient, since clients often share their
print materials with friends, relatives or neighbors.
- Are usually appropriate for local production and can be tailored
for specific audiences.
- Improve user comprehension. A study in Bangladesh found that one
month after receiving pictorial contraceptive instruction booklets,
83 % of the recipients still remembered when to start taking the pill,
as opposed to 16 % of the group who had received only verbal instructions.
- Can counteract rumors, reduce fears of possible side effects and
reassure acceptors that health and family planning methods or other
health technologies are effective and safe.
- May serve as a motivator for those who wish to improve their literacy
skills.
This manual is designed to guide the reader step-by-step through the
process of developing health and family planning print material for
low-literate adults. The same materials development techniques can
be used to develop radio spots, videos or theatre programs.
Each section of this Guide discusses a separate step in the materials
development process.
“Target Audiences” explains how to profile audiences and determine
their specific needs.
“Project Planning” offers tips on formulating work plans to allocate
time and financial resources.
“Audience Research” describes methods to derive information from
the target audience to assess and better understand its needs and
concerns, while
“Message Development” details the process of using data from FGDs
and audience research to develop messages and communicate them pictorially
in a clear, sequential manner.
“Guidelines for Materials Production” provides tips that can be helpful
when preparing materials for low-literate groups.
“Pretesting and Revision” explains ways to ensure that the intended
messages are conveyed and that the materials are acceptable to the
target audience.
“Printing” raises issues to consider during the production stage
of the materials development process.
“Distribution and Training” describes how to disseminate the materials
and train health workers to use them effectively with their clients.
“Evaluation” describes methods to examine the field use of the materials
and their impact on the intended target audience.
