This chapter analyzes the situation of people affected by illiteracy. It shows how a handicap in reading acquisition has practical consequences on a personal, social, professional, and family level. The question that arises then is whether the consequences of these weaknesses makes people designated as being in a situation of illiteracy “second-class citizens”, in the sense that their difficulties compromise their knowledge and the exercise of their rights and duties within their civic and citizen lives. The article identifies that not only are people in a situation of illiteracy often dependent on a third party in managing their daily lives, but also that the expression of their obligations and their rights is affected. Indeed, in a society where the slightest administrative or legal procedure requires writing, people in a situation of illiteracy find themselves lacking, both in terms of access to information and in terms of autonomy or freedom. This has unavoidable consequences in the construction of their self-image, associated with feelings of embarrassment, shame, personal injury, and exclusion by others. This study, which is based on narratives, confirms the hypothesis that illiteracy could be considered “second-class citizenship”. It highlights how training people suffering from illiteracy through the support of a benevolent third party (teacher or trainer) can play an important role in the development of skills that allow them to “spread their wings” and emancipate themselves, taking flight towards a more harmonious life as a citizen.