Can you read your prescription label?
What about a hospital discharge sheet? A food label? A consent form?
For millions of adults across South Carolina, the answer is no—or not without help. And the consequences can be life-threatening.
Reading is a Health Issue
When we talk about reading, we usually think about books or newspapers. But health information—like medication instructions, appointment slips, or care plans—also relies on reading.
According to national research, nearly half of American adults struggle to understand basic health documents. That number climbs in areas with low adult literacy—and South Carolina is one of those places.
Low literacy is directly linked to:
- Medication errors
- Missed appointments
- Poor nutrition
- Higher ER visits and hospitalizations
- Longer recovery times
The result? An estimated $106 to $238 billion in healthcare costs every year.
Stories That Hit Home
Miss Sandra* had trouble understanding the side effects listed on her blood pressure medicine. She thought she was supposed to take it twice a day. It was once. Her dizziness and fatigue weren’t her “getting older”—they were the effects of too much medication.
When she joined Literacy SC’s private tutoring program, she learned to advocate for herself.
“I asked my doctor questions I never had the courage to ask,” she said. “Now I read well. I understand what I’m putting in my body.”
📣 Health Starts with Reading
If you or someone you love needs help reading medical papers, forms, or everyday instructions, you are not alone.
Our one-on-one tutoring is free, private, and built just for adults.
📞 Call us at 803-216-5663 to get started.
Reading well isn’t just fun. It’s survival.
