Impact of Increased Literacy Skills: Perspectives of Residents and Employees in a Shelter Setting

Purpose: Previous research has suggested that literacy interventions may benefit women experiencing homelessness. Individual perspectives regarding literacy practices and needs of women experiencing homelessness and the shelter staff who work with them have not yet been examined. Method: This qualitative study examined the perspectives around the literacy of 10 women living in a shelter setting and seven shelter employees who worked with them. The research questions investigated alignment and differences in their views on the value of literacy. Results: Data analysis indicated that residents felt a lasting impact of early experiences around literacy, that their current enjoyment of reading/writing was hampered by multiple obstacles, and that they held a wide range of beliefs on the value of increasing their personal skills in reading and written language. Employee interview results, while acknowledging that homelessness is a time of crisis and shame, emphasized the multiple benefits of increased reading and writing skills. Conclusion: Future literacy-related interventions conducted by speech-language pathologists in a shelter setting would benefit from community-informed dialogue around residents' self-identified needs and goals.