Brownfields: A Case Study in Cooperative Composing To Develop a Low Barrier Print Guide. C. Zarcadoolas, Brown University; E. Timm, ATSDR; and L. Bibeault, RI DOH
At least three cultural events have converged to make environmental health information critical, yet highly inaccessible, to many Americans: 1) The declining literacy levels of almost one-half the population; 2) the growing cultural diversity of the population; 3) the specific complexity of environmental health information and the known science. This paper presents a case study of how literacy experts and environmental scientists partnered with a panel of inner city residents to produce a community guide about brownfields, a process the authors refer to as "cooperative composing." The goal was to make the guide low-barrier material (5th-8th grade reading level) that informs people about brownfields issues so they can meaningfully insert themselves into the processes of planning for brownfields reuse and redevelopment.
Research funded by ATSDR through the RI Dept. of Health.
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