When Wentworthville resident Jared Watty was growing up, he found it difficult to keep up with his peers.
But it wasn’t until late in his school life that he was officially diagnosed with the learning difficulty, dyslexia.
Despite his struggles to read and spell, he never let this get in the way of progressing his career as a cook and later carpenter, yet his goal to read a book seemed unreachable.
That was until he stumbled across a casting call for SBS’s new observational documentary ‘Lost for Words’.
Participants take part in intensive tailored classes and challenging real-world tasks to put their newfound reading, writing and spelling skills to the test in a journey that is both emotional and confronting as participants overcome shame and stigma that they have battled for years.
The three-part series, hosted by literacy advocate and Aussie icon Jay Laga’aia, aims to shine a light on Australia’s shockingly low adult literacy rate.
Mr Watty joined seven other participants on the intensive nine-week adult literacy program, an experience he can only describe as “life changing”.
“I’ve never been able to spell words out to even the close correct spelling,” he said.
“I’ve always been frustrated with not understanding why I don’t have this ability that other people do and just feeling dumb really.
“It’s one thing that has held me back, so I thought it was time to challenge myself, literacy-wise, so I applied.”
A staggering 43 per cent of Australian adults don’t have the necessary literacy skills needed for everyday life.
Prior to the experience, Mr Watty relied on technology such as voice-to-text to find his way around day-to-day life.
“The show has really allowed me to push through these barriers,” he said.
“It’s really opened my eyes to understanding why my brain works this way and what tools I can use to actually overcome it.”
Mr Laga’aia said working on the project made him realise how important words truly are.
“Not being able to read or write stigmatises a person for life and they hide their little secret, fearful that society will dismiss them,” he said.
“‘Lost for Words’ is an inspirational tale of how a bunch of strangers came together to face their fear of going back to the classroom.”
‘Lost for Words’ premieres Wednesday, September 22 at 8.30pm on SBS and SBS on Demand.
If you or someone you know needs assistance with reading or writing, call the Reading Writing Hotline on 1300 6 555 06.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.