A short podcast about setting up my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic Eye Campaign.

                                                     One of my Unique Dyslexic Eye broadcasts

 A short podcast about setting up my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic Eye Campaign.

Any, thats enpough from me today. Have a good week, stay safe and remember always take time out to nurture yourself.

Steve #Unique Dyslexic McCue

Dyslexia, Cateract and other news

 

Me 6 weeks after my cateract operation, no smile, you have to keep a straight face

Hi everyone, hope all is well

Gawd, I dont know how I do it, that's another pair of over the ear headphones gone up to that great studio in the sky. Dont know how I get through them so quickly

I have applied for a disabled rail pass today. Going to visit my brothes in Lonon with Anne in a few weeks. No poinnt in taking the care all that way. Maybe we will hire a care or just use public transport or taxis.

You can see my eye has recovered from the cateract operation. There has been such an improvement in the sight in my right eye. The specialist has cleared me fit to drive. Which is good news. I will get the cateract removed from my left eye as soon as I can. I know I will never see 20 / 20 in that eye but removing the cateract will help me see a litte better.

The stroke and cateract has really impacted on my business, which is a real pain. I have been thinking about closing Dyslexia Pathways CIC and retiring. Mainly because of changes in the tax system. Not made my mind up yet. I am 68 years old now so I could just retire and write my memoirs lol. But I know me, I would just get boared with nothing to do.

Might go to Business Gateway to look at offering trining on dyslexia and neuro diversty etc either in person or via computer..

thanks for reading my blog,

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Dyslexia, music and me.

 

Me in our old jammimg room with the drums

Hi Blog followers and readers I have always been fascinated by making music, ever since I was a young kid. I remember my primary school gave me a violin to play at a Christmas event when I was around 6 or 7 years old. They lent it to me. I learned to play Good KIng Wenselass Just pucking strings, not using a bow. I broke a string and felt so guilty I gave it back.

I play bass and six string guitar, keyboards and drums etc. Played in a good few bands.

I bought myself a new music app the other day. Its called Scape and is a generative music app from Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers. You dont have to be a musician to use it, its quite easy to use.

For me as a dyslexic I have always found music and making music fab for many reasons from helping me develop my concentration to my sequencing skills and relaxation etc. All of which could benefit any dyslexic like myself. Its an app for Ipad and a fab tool for creating ambient music with art. I have been a fan of ambient music since 1975 and even create my own now and again. Wrote a whole album of ambient stuff a while back.. Ambient music and this app will not be for everyone, I enjoy exploring them. I give it a ten out of ten and advise you all to investigate ambient music. and generative music apps.. Always try a free version before you buy any of them.

Music is good for the dyslexic mind, great for mental health and relaxation.

This link will take you to a you tube video of the app

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PennXD3SGmI

Ok, its not brilliant but music creativity, like any form of creativity as good for dyslexic and neuro diverse minds, as well as fab for the mental health

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all from me,

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Society still focuses on dyslexia as a negative condition, I am here to refute that idea totally

 

Dyslexia, Things stay the same?

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE , Dyslexic,received an Honorary Doctorate in 2017 for her work in space science and dedication to science communication and education. Presenter of the Sky at Night  on the BBC.

Hi everyone, hope you are all well,

Taken from a recent British Dyslexia Associated artice,

"A stark picture is emerging from new FOI data on dyslexia support in England. Fewer than half of local authorities employ specialists to assess dyslexia, and around a third offer no guidance at all to schools. Of the 151 authorities contacted, 82% responded, yet fewer than 10% could answer all questions.

The impact on pupils is significant. In 2025, only 21% of pupils with a Specific Learning Difficulty met expected standards at Key Stage 2, compared with 74% of pupils with no SEN. At GCSE, just one in five achieved Grade 5 in English and Maths, and only 39.5% reached Grade 4, compared with 72.3 per cent of pupils without SEN".

Way back in 2005 when I was running the dyslexia department in a college in London. I run a number of open dyslexia surgeries for students and staff wanting to find out more about dyslexia. As it turned out a large number of staff took up the offer and came to the surgeries.  

Some just want some advice on ways to support their dyslexic student's more effectively. But others came because they either knew they were dyslexic or suspected they were dyslexic. 

All had some concerns that being dyslexic would hinder their career prospects and nearly all had not disclosed they were dyslexic.

As a result of this I put together a proposal for a new dyslexia focused project called Breaking down the barriers of dyslexia. 

The basic idea was to provide free dyslexia screening and assessment to staff at the college as well as provide training in dyslexia friendly work strategies.   

I managed to get a fifty thousand poundgrant from the Learning and Skills Council for the project.  The project itself went very well. We had a target to provide 8 free dyslexia assessments and in the end we provided 23.

However, at the end of the project despite how well it went 99% of those assessed still did not want their bosses to know they were dyslexic. So here we are in 2026 and things do not appear to have changed much.

A few years back I was talking with a degree student who I had been providing dyslexia support over the last semester.  A very bright student as well. He was expressing an interest in becoming a teacher but felt that it was not possible for him to become a teacher because of his dyslexia. 

He was expressing his concerns about telling any prospective employers about his dyslexia. That if he did it would adversely affect his job and career prospects. He would be a great teacher as well in my opinion

There is far too much focus on dyslexia as a negative condition that adversely impacts on our abilities to succeed academically and in the work place. Let’s face it what employer wants to take on a dyslexic who can't spell, has poor memory, a brain that does not work properly, who can't read well etc. 

This is a medical model definition of dyslexia. There is something wrong with dyslexics, our brains are broken in some way. Dyslexia is about defecit, disorder and discrepancy. It saw it is we dyslexics who are the problem. In my view it is our education system that is tied to this definition that is the issue here.

This is what the average person in the street believes dyslexia to be. Very few mention any of the positives of dyslexia at all. So it is not surprising many dyslexics keep it a secret, including teachers.

The social model of dyslexia tells us, " The social model of dyslexia posits that individuals are disabled not by their neurological differences, but by environmental barriers, rigid educational systems, and societal attitudes that fail to accommodate them. It shifts the focus from fixing a personal deficit to removing societal obstacles, advocating for inclusion and reasonable adjustments. This tells us it is our dyslexia unfriendly society that fails us." It is our dyslexia unfriendly education system tha fails us

For every positive single article on dyslexia there and 20 or more negative ones. If we are ever to change people's attitudes and perceptions about dyslexia we need dyslexic teachers in classroom who are positive about being dyslexic and can act as role models and mentors to dyslexic children.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Progress with my cateract and a bit of dyslexia news

Me at the sheraton Hotel March 5th, photo taken by my missus. Had to grow the beard as I really couldnt shee yo shaving it lol

Hello all, hope all is well

Well, its been a month since my cateract operation. The healing process is going ok. In gereral my vision is very clear, colours are brighter, images sharper and clearer. Just took a lot longer than I anticipated to get over the operation. 

I will  still need glasses for reading and using the computer I think. But I will need a different prescription. I can still use my old glasses but I have to sit with my face very close to the screen for them to work. 

My middle vision is fine, I can watch tv, like I said, I can watch tv, play games etc without glasses. 

I think my long vision has improved and I believe I will still be able to drive, but I will need to get my eye tested again to see if I am still able to drive legally. I will need blue tinted galsses to drive.

My university dyslexia work is still going on but its still a bit slow. |I have been told it slow in study support in general. I think Universities are using assistive software without using specialists like me. 

I am planning to visit Business Gateway to get some advice on providing support privately.We will see who that goes. I used to do this face to face before COVID. But when my university work was very busy I had to drop it.

Anyway, #PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me,

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

I had the cateract removed from my right eye 20.02 26, road to recovery.

 

Me at home after my cateract op lol, looking handsome as ever lol

Hello, all, hope you are all keeping well.

I had the cateract removed from my right eye 20.02 26. Its 01.03.26 and this is my first blog since my cateract op. The photo is me when I got home after my cateract had been removed. It really was not painful, just uncomfortabe and awkward as I already struggle to see out of my left eye due to my stroke. 

The operation took about 30 minutes. Have to say my legs were a little wobbly so I had to be wheeled out of surgery and rest for about 30 minutes. Needless to say I struggled to see very much at all. 

Took about 3 hours for my eye to reopen. Then my sight was quite blurry and weird colours . I have to take drops in my eye for the next month. I cannot bend down, lift anything to heavy as it may impact of my new lense. Taking  easy and me do not compute lol.

Its going to take about a month or so to recover barring any complications. My long vision has imprpoved, colours are brighter and images clearer. But its still quite bright though. But I already have difficulty with light in general before my op. 

I have a cateract in my left eye which, even though, it was  damaged by my stroke last year, I will get it removed as well. I call my left eye my 8 bit eye. I can see out of it but its a bit like an old 8 bit compter.

I did a little dyslexia work on Wednesday, only an hour or so but I enjoy my work.

Anyway, thanks for reading, please leave a comment or a like etc. Maybe share as well. That way I dont feel like I am not just blogging in the wind lol. When I am up to it I will make a new podcast from this blog.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all

from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Invitation to my Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcast PAGE

Me in the college studio recording an early podcast as part of my HND in Broadcasting

Hi everyone, hope you are all well

My podcast is called Unque Dyslexic Eye and podcast dyslexia and neur diverstity. I started it up because COVID happened and I wanted to support and nurture the metal health and well being of dyslexia, neuro diverse through creativity.

I had a mini stroke in my left eye about a year ago so not made a new podcsat for a while. I am determined to start it up again. 

I would be happy to be a guest on podcasts about dyslexia, neuro diversity, disability, health issues, science fiction, prog music etc. 

I am a successful social entrepreneur. Founded my social enterprise, Dyslexia Pathways CIC in 2007. 

I am a dyslexic, dyslexia and inclusion specialist with over 25 years experience working with dyslexic, neuro diverse and disabled communities.

Here is a link to my podcast pager on Podbean: 

My Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcast Page

Your comments are welcomed as are likes. My podcast is free to subscribe to

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue