A free event Sept. 17 will let Wichita residents experience what daily life feels like when you can't read.
The Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a coalition of 11 newsrooms and community groups, is hosting the kickoff for its "Beyond Words: Wichita's Reading Crisis" initiative from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. Second St. The initiative aims to research the local adult literacy crisis and identify where resources are most needed, according to the collaborative.
The stakes are steep. Nearly 20% of adults in Sedgwick County test at Level 1 literacy or below, a level the collaborative describes as difficulty completing everyday reading tasks. The coalition includes the Wichita Eagle and the Wichita Public Library.
Simulations put attendees in learners' shoes
Staff from Phillips Fundamental Learning Center and the Wichita Public Library will run simulations showing what school feels like for someone with dyslexia, dysgraphia and other learning challenges. One simulation asks participants to fill out a job application without being able to read.
Jill Hodge, Andeel Teacher Literacy Institute facilitator at Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, said the exercises build empathy by placing people in the position of someone with a learning difference. Phillips, a Wichita nonprofit that supports children with dyslexia, requires parents of students enrolled in its Rolph Literacy Academy to go through one of the simulations. Hodge said some adults have realized afterward that they struggled in school the same way their children do and never knew why.
Collaborative members and Phillips staff will also present data they have collected on literacy in the Wichita area.
Consequences beyond the classroom
Savannah Ball, literacy services manager at the Wichita Public Library, said the impact of low literacy reaches into every part of daily life.
"… Do we understand that if you can't read, you can't complete a voting ballot or know to take the right amount of medicine that your doctor prescribed you?" Ball said.
The library found during its 2024 strategic planning process that some community organizations, including food banks and recovery centers, were struggling to serve clients because some adults lacked the reading skills to fill out intake forms.
Statewide, almost one in five Kansas adults read without understanding the meaning of the words, according to a 2017 federal study cited in a Sept. 10 report by the collaborative and KSN. In fiscal year 2024, more than 500 people never made it off Kansas adult education waitlists because learning centers lacked funding to expand, according to a Kansas Board of Regents report. The state's 18 adult education centers will receive less than $1.6 million in state funding during the 2026-27 school year.
The Wichita Public Library's "Reading Basics for Adults" program, developed by adult literacy manager Steven Kelly, has been offered quarterly since summer 2025. Kelly said in July that the program would expand to monthly sessions starting fall 2026.
How to attend
The kickoff event is free. Registration is not required but is encouraged to ensure space. More information and registration are available at the Wichita Journalism Collaborative's website.
