this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2023
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Hypothetically, if a colleague has repeatedly demonstrated the utter lack of reading comprehension skills (like pulling the same door labelled "push" for the hundredth time), what job could one suggest for them where this "disability" wouldn't be detrimental?

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[–] [email protected] 73 points 1 year ago

I don't think opening a door the wrong way hundreds of times is a literacy issue....

[–] [email protected] 68 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Pulling a door labeled push is the result of bad door design.

But it mostly sounds like you can't think of your own ammo and wanna be a dick to your coworker.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Yea, this question definitely left me feeling like I'd much rather get a beer with their coworker (and hold the door for them) than the question asker.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (1 children)

β€œpulling the same door labeled push”

In this instance, it’s usually a basic design problem. If you have to label a door β€œpush” because some idiot put a handle on it that you’d instinctively pull on instead of a simple push plate that’s impossible to grab, that’s not the user’s issue.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah, sounds like a Norman Door

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago (9 children)

The example you've given is likely not a problem with reading comprehension but obliviousness. I read and understand things very well (I have to read and correct engineering drawings and schematics and implement them), but I simply don't notice a lot of what goes on around me.

My suggestion for that is any job that doesn't require safety, physical team labor, or security.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago

Republican member of Congress, president.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If it's a legitimate issue of illiteracy there are companies that rely on illiterate workers and workers with other special needs to legally shred their sensitive documents. It's amazing for both sides. It takes the concern for privacy off the table and gives a person a job, money, and a sense of purpose that they otherwise might not have.

In an age where most information is digital there are still a lot of industries that rely on paper and for sensitive information and sometimes that paper needs to be shredded. Legal documents, HIPAA standards in the US, and trade secrets are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (3 children)

kinda sounds weird from the outside since you cant proove you cant read. could just pretend

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Since being able to read makes you unable to voluntarily suppress reading (at least in my experience), surely there is some way to prove that.

Edit: Considei the well-known task where you see names of colors and you have to quickly say the color of the font itself (which is different from the color written).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Fair point. But, medically and developmentally speaking there are people with a lower mental capacity that literally can't read. The entire adult care industry exists for a reason. Those people need something to do so they don't simply waste away.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Today, I learned!

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

The job they have now. If they're not getting sacked they're obviously fulfilling their employers expectations.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Dishwasher, cleaner, cook in a smaller kitchen.

At least those a friend of mine did who came already illitterate from Afghanistan to Sweden and also didn't learn to read and write in Sweden yet (despite being very good in speaking the swedish language after a couple of years.)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Shouldn't a dishwasher or cook be able to read and follow instructions, like regarding water temperature, food safety, etc?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

They gave him the instructions verbally and gave him the training before he was allowed to do it alone.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Seems more like an attention issue than illiteracy.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

A politician

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Well that depends, what causes this difficulty in reading and how far does it extend? Is it dyslexia? Do they have issues memorizing things? Are they completely beyond learning a fixed action?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

The same door...? Their apparent illiteracy sounds like a symptom more than the core issue.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

pulling the same door labelled "push" for the hundredth time

I was about to say that maybe one side of the door has the wrong handle, before remembering that glass doors usually have the same handle on both sides...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Let’s keep this door related. Walmart greeter

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

To answer your actual question: functional illiteracy is still functional, if somebody has a job, and they're keeping it, doesn't matter if they can't really read. Most people can cope without doing any reading in their daily lives, they'll ask somebody else to read something for them if it's absolutely necessary, but there's a huge part of humanity whose jobs do not involve ingesting novel data and critical thinking.

Quite honestly even the people who do need those critical thinking skills don't need them on a day-to-day basis. Most people get into a routine and don't really need to read anymore. So somebody could adapt to that routine through friends and family, and never really learn how to read.

Now to move on to your scenario, which isn't based on a literacy, just on somebody being oblivious and or stubborn. Those people existed all levels. Just let him be. Don't let them annoy you. Arguing with an oblivious stubborn person is a double whammy, because they don't realize whatever they're doing is inefficient, and if they do eventually get it, they're going to double down because their stubborn

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Barback.

Prep cook.

Custodian.

Facilities teams.

Driver (delivery, Uber)

Trainer

Retail

Mover/moving company

Salesman (for specialty items like guitars or cars).

Farmhand.

Auto body shop work

Welder

Street performer/artist

So many jobs don't require the ability to read, but they almost all require that you acquire a skill or knowledge base.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Driver (delivery,

So that's why my food delivery person never understands how to get into my building even though there are very detailed instructions.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My father is barely literate and has been a trucker for over 30 years.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Trucker is fine.

Working as a food delivery driver for like uber eats or like wise then you need to be able to read the delivery instructions.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Or what is said there on that street sign

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I expect it is more "can't be stuffed" than "can't work it out" but sure, that too.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Facilities teams

Don't they need to read the instructions for the cleaning supplies? Especially because those are industry strength and would most likely need to be diluted?

Auto body shop work

Same here. Read und understand car manuals and safety stuff.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I work in an organization where many of our facilities staff are immigrants, and completely illiterate (even in their own language). So, no. They need a facilities director/supervisor/building manager to guide them in their roles.

Same for auto body shops, as long as you're working on vehicles before a certain year, you can learn all you need to know an be effective in your role.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Auto body workers still need to read. Try mixing Bondo without being able to read measures or weights. How about determining which box contains the proper replacement part?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Washing cars for Avis. When I did that one of my coworkers was illiterate. He managed just fine. Only thing he had to do was memorize the few questions on the return slip to know which checkboxes associated to which aspect of the car’s state.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Production line worker, depending on the production

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