Literacy Privilege: How I Learned to Check Mine Instead of Making Fun of People’s Grammar on the Internet
It certainly made for an interesting read. The author is a recovering grammar pedant who realised the error of her ways after being asked to help develop an adult literacy programme. Illiteracy is an ongoing problem and living in a country like South Africa, where our education levels are some of the lowest in the world, no-one can argue that sometimes access to education is a problem.
It's quite simple, really. There are a number of reasons why someone may struggle with things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. They may not have had access to education. They may, as this article point out, have a learning disability. For someone who struggles with dyslexia, the things that make my blood boil and make me want to drive a pencil through someone's hand may quite simply seem impossible.
Except, they're not. I understand people with learning disabilities. I know that it is no reflection on someone's intellect or ability to comprehend things. I sympathise and feel grateful that I am not one of these sufferers. But, I do think that in this day and age, this is not an excuse.
