A lille biographical introduction

I am very positive about my own dyslexia. Dyslexia is a part of me and whilst it did meant a I struggled at school and was not a great speller and my hand writing was terrible and not readable I wouldn’t want to change anything in my life. Dyslexia is about a different way of thinking and learning and that many schools just do not teach us in ways we can access the learning. It is ironic that many of the strategies that work for dyslexics would work for all is schools making the curriculum more accessible for all.

Like many people with dyslexia I left school with no qualifications. I went from one crappy job to another for a while. I was lucky in that I got involved in music. Not in a big way but music became my live. I kinda dropped out played my bass travelled around with the peace convoy and stuff.

When I was around 35 I decided to leave music and go back to school. I was lucky in that I got on an Access course for a year and I fell in love with learning. This started in 1988 when I took my basic skills and ended in 1995 when I got my PGCE in Inclusive Education. Whilst taking my degree I did some voluntary work going into primary and secondary schools in east London mentoring and thats when I discovered a love for teaching. I also discovered I was dyslexic in my second year at university.

I am dyslexic myself as well as being a dyslexia and inclusive education teacher who was working in Further Education until 2007. In my last teaching post I ran the dyslexia department at a college in London between 2000 and 2007. I qualified with a PGCE in 1995 and was a teacher up until 2007. Whislt I was employed there I became hypothyroid and type two diabetic and had to battle against this as well as going through being bullied over a long period of time by my line manager.

I also developed and managed a number of different projects. My last project, “Breaking the Barriers of Dyslexia”, was basically about screening and assessing college staff for dyslexia. We also offered training in dyslexia friendly work practises and applications to Access to Work. It was a very successful project. Originally there was a target of giving 8 dyslexia assessments over a three month period. In the end we assessed 23 members of staff over a four month period. The idea was that staff could them mentor or act a s dyslexia ambassadors. However, even after all the assessments and training all staff did not want their managers to know they were dyslexia and didn't even want the college prinipal to attend the end of project party.
I am very happy to be dyslexic, in fact I would shout it from the roof tops. I totally believe dyslexia is not a disability and that what disables is society.

Here is an example of this. I was made redundant from my last teaching post. However, the college where I was working kept all the assistive technology I had been given through Access to Work technology that I relied upon to enable me to read and write more efficiently. Even Access to Work would not support me in attempting to take the tech with me. I was effectively made disabled again.

I then moved to Scotland, basically to support my mum who was ill, but to also make a new start in the country where I was born
I took some time off from work basically a little holiday to settle myself here. However, when I felt it was time to get myself back to work I struggled. Firstly, I had no assistive technology and I couldn’t  find anywhere in Scotland where I could gain access to assistive tech so it made filling in application forms very difficult, unless I got somebody to fill them out for me. With my assistive tech and computer theses application forms are an easy thing for me to complete. This is what I mean by its society that disables and not dyslexia itself. It’s an irony that assistive technology is to expensive for many to buy and access. I certainly couldn’t have afforded to buy the computer and software myself.

In the end I was lucky enough to get cash from a charity to buy a computer and printer. I started looking for teaching posts, hourly paid teaching etc. But I had no luck at all. Oh yes colleges took me on for hourly paid work but I got not one hour of teaching in two years. I went to a local college and was basically told I wouldn't get any teaching work because my qualifications and 12 years teaching experience was gained in England. That I wouldn’t understand the Scottish system.

So here I am with my honours degree, my PGCE in Inclusive Education, Dyslexia Diploma and Masters Unit in Multi Sensory e Learning and Dyslexia and 12 years of teaching experience and I couldn'r get one hour of teaching here in Scotland.

I applied to do BRITE training but was not able to do the training because I don't actually work in an FE college here. It seemed everywhere I turned I was being given reason why I can't work. All the barriers I had to overcome in England were there in front of me again.

Whilst doing all this I discovered there is a complete lack of access to dyslexia services for unemployed adults and young people here in Fife and Edinburgh. So I decided to set up Dyslexia Pathways. I was lucky enough to get some work at Heriot Watt university as a dyslexia consultant / teacher. Indeed Dyslexia Pathways has a contract to supply dyslexia services to the university.

I got involved with social enterprise and decided that Dyslexia Pathways become a social enterprise. In October of this year I won Scottish Government £12.000 Level 2 Award from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund. This was great and is helping me deliver services and pay myself for a year. There are other opportunities beckoning here in Scotland and I have an outline for a new project aimed at supporting young people with dyslexia in training and in the transition into employment. I am hoping I can get this off the ground in 2010.

Well I hope I have not put you all to sleep. But I think my story gives some insights into the barriers we have to overcome just to be able to earn a living and just how far we have to come before we have an inclusive society.