Acknowledgements

As literacy advocates in the Northwest Territories, we know that many people here have low literacy levels. Through our work, we are aware too of the numerous health issues that people in the NWT face daily. Given these factors, and the close links between literacy and health, we began to understand why it might be difficult for some people to make healthy choices.

As a key step in changing that, we saw a need for accessible health information—information that is easy-to-read, that can be integrated into different settings, and that helps people explore their options. Health Check is our response to that need.

The Health Promotion Division of the Dept. of Health & Social Services, GNWT provided the funding for this project.

Stories are the heart of Health Check. The stories, by adult literacy learners from the NWT, are truly northern and make the resource more engaging and more relevant to other northerners. They are not meant to represent medical opinions on the different health issues, but to reflect people’s own experiences.

Thanks to the adult literacy learners who shared their stories with us. The stories are very personal, so we have changed the authors’ names. However, they know who they are, and we thank them all.