MSCA - Mid Southern California Area 09 of Alcoholics Anonymous

Delegate's Bulletin Board

"Making the Big Book More Accessible While Preserving Its Message" 30 March 2020

Greetings everyone my Name is Kevin and I am Grateful for the Privilege to be Serving as Panel 70 Delegate for Arizona Area 3. I serve on the Conference Committee for Policy and Admissions
Thank you to the host committee for your service and for inviting me to participate on the 70th General Service Conference Agenda Panel

My presentation is related to Literature Item K and is titled, Making the Big Book More Accessible While Preserving Its Message

Let me begin by asking you to consider a few questions. Do you think there are accessibility and relatability issues with the book Alcoholics Anonymous? If so do you think A.A. is ready to have informed discussions about finding solutions? And do you think it’s possible that one common solution to accessibility and relatability with the Big Book can be found?

One year after publication of the Big Book, A.A. Co-Founder Dr. Bob asked another Akron member to develop a guide to study the book Alcoholics Anonymous. The pamphlet was called “A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous” it was published around 1940 as a response to Dr. Bob’s apparent concern that the Big Book was too “highbrow” or too difficult for many alcoholics. This historic Akron Pamphlet was the first of five developed in the early days to help sponsors and individual alcoholics understand the program as laid out in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. That was 80 years ago.
Since then A.A. has developed several easy to read tools to help people understand our program.
In 1966 The Trustee’s Literature Committee discussed the need for a pamphlet for alcoholics who do not read well and for people who cannot read at all. The pamphlet “What Happened to Joe” was released.

By 1969, “It Happened to Alice”, was completed. In 1978 “It Sure Beats Sitting in a Cell” was approved and the pamphlet “Too Young” was also ready for production.

“A Message to Teenagers” was approved in 1981. In 1987 discussion took place on the Trustee’s Literature Committee about the need for easy to read literature. Past A.A. Board Chair Dr. Jack Norris had reviewed the history of the need for more graphic, easy to read literature and supported recommendations of the Literature Committee. He felt this type of literature was long overdue for many A.A. members that need easy to read A.A. literature. In 1989 “Is A.A. For Me” was approved.

In 1991 ”The Twelve Steps Illustrated Pamphlet” was approved. We also have “The Twelve Traditions Illustrated”, and “The Twelve Concepts Illustrated”. All these materials were developed to meet membership needs for graphic and easy to read literature.

Current Membership request regarding the language and tools used to access the book Alcoholics Anonymous have two Main Themes:
1st Accessibility – due to the literacy level or lack of ability to adequately comprehend the message of recovery by the individual as written in the book Alcoholics Anonymous
2nd Relatability – changes in current language and culture (including views on modern language, gender and religion) which hinder the individual’s ability to relate and embrace the program as set forth in the book Alcoholics Anonymous

Relatability literature include:
The pamphlets “Many Paths to Spirituality, AND “the God Word”, Young Peoples Videos, the current Grapevine Magazine and Grapevine books including “One Big Tent”
Request for simplified language and/or tools to access the book Alcoholics Anonymous are primarily based on observations of A.A. members who are unable to access the message of recovery in its current form. These accessibility challenges are due to several factors including low literacy levels, English as a second language, or traumatic brain injuries. When trying to understand a person’s capacity to use written material, reading grade level is often used, but it only measures one’s recognition of words. Reading level does not reflect the ability to comprehend and use what was read, whereas literacy does.

For many years I brought A.A. meetings into the Arizona State Prison Complex here in Tucson. When we read the Big Book most people could participate and read the words. When the reading was done and discussion began, it was abundantly clear that many of the people did not comprehend what we had just read. I found myself trying to explain the reading in terms understandable to everyone. I have had the same experience at some of the meetings I regularly attend. Maybe you have had this experience too. Some meetings here in Tucson have even began to adopt the use of tools to help people understand the Big Book.

For those fond of grade reading levels, note that 50% of adults in the US cannot read a book written at an 8th grade reading level. That’s half of 327 million people. If the Big Book is at 8th Grade reading level, does that mean 164 million adults don’t have access to the message? Literacy is a more comprehensive tool to measure understanding and use of materials. Literacy is measured on a 1 to 5 scale, with one being the simplest and five being the most complex. Most of the Big Book requires a mid-range third level of literacy. The Literacy level at 3 or above in the US is 48%. Does that mean only about half of the adults in the US could read and comprehend the Big Book?

I don’t have a High School Diploma nor do many friends I grew up with in Chicago. Only 17% of adults with less High School have the ability to read the Big Book. I am Grateful that I beat the odds but what about the people that don’t? What can we, A.A as a whole, do for them?

Workbooks, Plain Language Big Book, Modern Language Big Book, and Simple Language Big Books, are just some of the request members have suggested to address the issues I have been talking about. Should these request be considered holistically rather than individually?

Let me close by asking you to consider a few questions. Do you think there are accessibility and relatability issues with the book Alcoholics Anonymous? If so do you think A.A. is ready to have informed discussions about finding solutions? And do you think it’s possible that one common solution to accessibility and relatability with the Big Book can be found?

80 years ago Dr. Bob took action. Does the Movement known as Alcoholics Anonymous have the resolve to do the same today?
Thank you,

In Love and service, Ed.
msca09delegate70@yahoo.com,
(760) 964-0012