Welcome to Health Literacy Network News

The Health Literacy Network (HLN) is a program of the British Columbia Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) in Vancouver, BC. HLN is affiliated with the BCCPD's AIDS & Disability Action Program and Wellness & Disability Initiative.

HLN was launched in 2000 and adopts a population health approach. Health is determined by many factors, including:

• Income and Social Status
• Social Support Networks
• Education and Literacy
• Employment/Working Conditions
• Social Environments
• Physical Environments
• Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills
• Healthy Child Development
• Biology and Genetic Endowment
• Health Services
• Gender
• Culture

We define health literacy as the ability to find, understand, and use information to improve health and well-being. We believe that health literacy includes literacy skills as well as a many other factors such as: disability, anxiety, embarrassment about the question at hand, low self-esteem, and pain or physical discomfort.

Health Literacy Network News profiles programs, projects, research, workshops, courses, and other activities that help people with disabilities and others access health services and understand health information. Our intention is to stimulate creativity and inspiration. We hope that when you read about a unique workshop or project in one part of the province that you might consider developing a similar project in your own community. By sharing news of events, resources, research and programs, we can develop a recipe book of health literacy solutions.

To share news from your community or organization, send an email to the Health Literacy Network News at hln@bccpd.bc.ca or wdi@bccpd.bc.ca.