Health Literacy Month, celebrated each October, is a time when health literacy advocates around the world promote the importance of understandable health information. Started by Helen Osborne in 1999, this month is a time for all health literacy advocates to let the world know why health literacy matters.
Why Health Literacy Matters: Sharing Our Stories in Words, Pictures, and Sound
We have a new project for Health Literacy Month 2009 and you are invited to join us. This project is designed as a way to share stories about why health literacy matters. Stories make abstract concepts come alive. Health literacy is personal, with each person’s experience being the heart of what matters. By sharing stories we learn from one another and create a sense of community at the same time.
The intent is that this project serves as a gathering place to share stories – sort of like being together around a campfire or conference table, but not. It also is a way to create a more lasting record of our shared experiences through a podcast, slideshow, and articles.
Please join us! This project is structured so that you can share your story in any of several ways: words, pictures, or sound recordings. Please consider this your opportunity to advocate for health literacy while also exploring new technologies. This Health Literacy Month project is time-limited. It begins now and ends October 31, 2009.
What to do
Think of the time you first knew that health literacy mattered. This realization may have come from an event, interaction, or experience you had perhaps as a patient, family member, friend, student, teacher, librarian, or health professional.
Share your story. Please be brief, personal, positive, specific, and authentic. As much as possible, make your story come alive by including:
- Character: who this happened to
- Setting: where and when this took place
- Obstacle: barrier or problem
- Resolution: what happened, how obstacles were overcome
- Call to action: lessons learned along the way
How to submit your story
Here are ways to share your story along with dates they are due:
- Website. Go to www.healthliteracymonth.org to keep up to date with all Health Literacy Month happenings. Ongoing.
- Blog. Go to http://blog.healthliteracymonth.org and join our conversation about Health Literacy Month. Ongoing.
- Email. Write your story (ideally 500 words, or less) and send it to story@healthliteracy.com. Until September 30, 2009.
- Facebook. Become a fan and join the health literacy conversation. Go to http://www.facebook.com and search for "Health Literacy Month." Ongoing.
- Twitter. Follow us by going to https://twitter.com/HealthLitMonth. You can also tweet your story so long as it is 140 characters or less. Until September 30, 2009.
- Skype. Call (508) 318-5791 and leave a brief voice message about why health literacy matters to you. This may become part of a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast, www.healthliteracyoutloud.com Until September 30, 2009.
- Photos. We’re looking for photos that show health literacy in action, and/or its positive effects. Submit your original photo(s), along with a short caption/story, to be considered for a photo slideshow. Send photos to: healthliteracyphotos@gmail.com. Photos should be in .jpg, .gif, or .tiff format, and no larger than 5 MB each. Until September 30, 2009.
What we need
- Your stories and submissions. Share your story about why health literacy matters to you. This project succeeds only if enough people participate. Please share your story and encourage others to do the same.
- Your permission. By sending or sharing your story in whatever format you choose, you agree that your submission is original. You retain ownership of the material but give unrestricted permission for us to use it for this Health Literacy Month project.
- Your patience, cooperation, and good humor. Your submission may or may not be edited. Helen Osborne or any of the team may request more information and ask you to sign a formal release.
- Your innovation, enthusiasm, and leadership. This project is starting small but has great hopes to grow. We welcome your offer to help in any way you can.
- Your help spreading the word. Please tell your colleagues and friends about this project and how to participate. That’s the best way we will grow.
How to stay up-do-date
The simplest and most direct way to stay up-to-date with this project is by subscribing to Helen Osborne’s free e-newsletter, "What’s New in Health Literacy Consulting." Here’s the link, www.healthliteracy.com. For questions and comments, please contact Helen Osborne directly at Helen@healthliteracy.com.
Health literacy. What’s YOUR story?
~ Helen Osborne & HLMonth Team