Under INA law, unless an applicant for citizenship is physically unable to do so through blindness or deafness, he or she must be able to speak, understand, read, and write simple English. Before 1978, the act provided an exemption to the literacy requirement for persons who, on the effective date in 1952, were over 50 years of age and had been residing in the United States for periods totaling at least 20 years. In 1978, Congress amended the provision to exempt any person who was over the age of 50 at the time of filing a petition and who had been lawfully admitted for permanent residence for periods totaling 20 years.From the information given above, it can be validly concluded that, on the effective date in 1952, all people over 50 years of age