Imagine not being able to read the directions on a prescription bottle, your child’s report card or even a road sign.

“One out of four adults in Alabama is functionally illiterate, at a third grade level or less,” said Ashley Taylor, exectuive director of the Eastern Shore Literacy Council.

The Eastern Shore Literacy Council is celebrating September as the International Literacy Month.

Taylor said this year the Council is focusing on raising awareness of literacy issues and recruiting volunteers. The number of people who want to learn to read has grown over four times what it was last year, Taylor said, and they are running out of available tutors.

There are 44 new learners enrolled this year — five of whom have been in the program for more than a year. In the first two weeks of September, six new learners have started.

Right now there are only 20 available tutors, Taylor said, so the need for more tutors is crucial to the success of the program.

The two major literacy series that are used to teach is the “Laubach Way to Reading,” and “Challenger.”

The program is individually based and typically depends on what level the applicants are functioning.

After an interview and setting of goals, applicants are placed in the pre-GED portion or literacy portion. Pre-GED learners usually take a six months crash course.

After they complete their GED they will sometimes enter college. Basic literacy classes takes a longer commitment, Taylor said.

For instance, two applicants came in a few months ago and were not able to read at all, so teaching the alphabet and using phonics was started.

Ages of new readers range from 16 to 45, and the Literacy Council matches tutors to students.

The program is not strictly one-on-one. Taylor said a couple in Fairhope, who are new learners, meet with a tutor at the same time.

Students usually meet with their tutors for a minimum of an hour a week. Taylor also matches the location of tutoring and scheduling with both the new student and the tutor.

English as a second language is a growing problem, Taylor said. This program has grown mainly by word of mouth, especially since new readers are excited about telling their friends about the program.

The new learners always seem very grateful for the help they receive with learning to read. Taylor said a young man who is learning disabled wanted to increase his reading skill in order to pass a driver’s license test.

She said he was surprised, but grateful, that people would help him learn to read and not get anything in return.

The Eastern Shore Literacy Council’s office is located in Ecumenical Ministries in Fairhope. Tutors only meet students in public places, including libraries and churches.

Businesses can also support the Literacy Council by offering the use of small rooms in a public setting. The literacy program is also offered at The Shoulder, a substance abuse treatment center in Daphne.

Training to be a tutor is offered immediately when a volunteer signs up. Occasionally, a larger and more formal training is offered to tutors on a particular Saturday.

Tutors must be 18 or older and must commit to a minimum of volunteering one hour a week.

The Eastern Shore Literacy Council has a strong volunteer base in Fairhope.

“We need to expand our tutor and support base in Daphne and Spanish Fort,” Taylor said. For more information, contact Ashley Taylor at 990-8300.