A phased return to my dyslexia work Phased? gawd lol heart attacks: after living with hypothyroid and type 2 diabeteas and dyslexia piece of cake

Me on left 6 months ago just after my heart attacks and stents. Happy to be alive and kicking but feeling weak as a kitten. On right me with one of my new t shirt designs about a month ago

I am recovering well so far taking my bob martins and going to the gym every week walking often etc. Being a very good boy lol. Difficult to escape cardiac issues when both my mum and dad had heart issues. Sure had my wild musician days but I never smoked cigarettes or eaten to much crappy food. 

Over the last few weeks I have been writing a new business plan for Dyslexia Pathways CIC phew its been hard work. Had a little support from Brag which has been fab. The first draft is nearly completed apart from one section. I hope to get this done by the end on this week. Then just the hard job of proof reading.

I decided it was time to make an application to Access to Work funding again. The last time I enquired about this with the DWP the hurdles to jump were just to big. They were more of a hinderence than a help.

This time they have been much more supporting and helpful. All the application has been done and I have had an access to work assessor come to interview me today. Now its just a question of waiting a few days. I was very stressed I have little trust in the DWP. Didn't claim any benefits because of this.

Hey hey got myself a new business mentor which is fab. Fisrt meeting with my new mentor in a couple of weeks.

Its been a while but I am slowly phasing myself back into my dyslexia Uni work. I have started my dyslexia support work again at Heriot Watt University a couple weeks ago working two days a week.

I have been editing  Dyslexia Pathways CIC web site which is nearly completed. I know its a bit basic but I have endeavoured to do what I can accessibility wise within the constrictions of Wix web sites.

What we really need is a fully accessible site. Like everything else its funding. I have completed stage one for funding through the Transform foundation. Fingers  and everything else crossed it goes well. I just want to make our site more accessible dyslexia friendly.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC web site

I have uploaded my new dyslexia and neuro diversity positive t shirt designs and bags. Thanks to the support with this from Concept Northen and Christian Boer. Please visit our shop have a browse, leave us a like or give me feedback. I have recently added some new bag designs.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC Shop

I have not done any thing about my go fund me page. Please consider backing and enable me achieve the £1000 target. I was invited to an event last night at Edinburgh University. The Fresh Sight 10 anniversary shindig. All very posh indeed. Managed to secure another backer for my #gofundme.

my cardiac arrest / dyslexia go fund me page

I have reached a third of the target so far. A huge thanks to all those who showed faith in me and backed the project. Please consider becoming a backer. Support my dyslexia work with the dyslexic community. You can back us from anywhere in the world. Got a new backer fro Edinburgh University last night.

Anyway thats enough for me for this blog many thanks for reading. Peace love and groovyness to you all.....oh yes passed the 150,000 reads on my dyslexia blog phew.

many thanks for reading your comments, feedback and questions are all welcome.

regards Steve

Dyslexic warriors: its not only about famous or rich dyslexics

one of our fab neuro diverse positive t shirts 

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling #fab

I was sent this message through my linked in the other day. Its a little story of #dyslexic success against the odds.

We tend to see stories of famous or rich dyslexics which is cool. But I think every dyslexic's stories is important and should be given a forum. 

I asked if it would be ok to share this in one of my blogs, she agreed and here is it:

"Good afternoon Stephen,

I suffer with dyslexia and I found it hard growing up.

In primary school  both my family and the school said that i was slow and lazy that was why I couldn't read faster than others or spelt simple words incorrect.

Through out high school my teachers turned a blind I to my asks of help. I would write in the margins of by book  that I was struggling with reading and spelling.

I was prodicted E's but I put in so much effort and extra time to complete my GCSE's i came out with C's.

It wasn't till Sixth form that I got some help, the teachers where amazing and helped me with out undermining me. I finally felt I was worth it and the effort I put in to tasks wasn't in vain.

I am happy to say that I am now a business admin. Doing an apprenticeship where I am not struggling and I openly ask for help.

I have wrote this message to say thank you.
I say thank you for being brave and making people aware of dyslexia.

I hope I can be as brave as you.

Thank you again

Kindest  regards

Charlotte"

If anyone else wants to share their dyslexia journey in my blog, anonymously or not, just email it to me as steve_mccue@hotmail.com. 

You can add photos but sent a little description of the photo .

I just think Charlotte had a great positive story to share and thank he for letting me share it here.

I kept the brave bit not because I think I am brave but because I thought she herself was being brave because it couldn't have been easy to share her story with me let alone let me share it in my blog.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC online shop give us a visit

Dyslexics falling through the cracks?

Dyslexic students do not fall through the cracks. Our education system is dyslexia unfriendly. That's the issue. Parents can fight for years to get the support their children need in school. Even then they can find accessing support an uphill struggle.

Don't get me wrong here there are fab schools and teachers out there but they are few and far between.

Teachers do not receive any training in meeting the learning needs of dyslexic students on their initial teacher training courses.

The research I did showed that only 20% of assessed dyslexic adults were assessed at school. The other factor here is people will look at dyslexia in isolation from all other factors.

Factors including poverty, parental support at home, and alack of political will to really make positive change that will enable dyslexic students to succeed are just  few of additional factors needing to be considered. Just looking at dyslexia in isolation gives a very one dimensional picture.

Finally, we have to consign the medical discrepancy model of dyslexia to history.

It is a model that has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics. It's a model that traps dyslexics behind a negative stereo type that says we are broken in some way, we need treatment etc. It's a model that has gotten us precisely nowhere.

We have to change that narrative and that's why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia. The basic premise is it is society that disables us. For so many of us this disabling begins at our dyslexia unfriendly education system. Dyslexia is about diversity and difference not disability.

Below is a link to our little dyslexia neuro diversity positive online shop. As is often said dyslexia is a hidden disability. But I would say its about untapped abilities or hidden abilities.

If we are ever going to make positive change for all dyslexics present and future we need to build a coherent dyslexic community. A community with one positive message, one based on social model of dyslexia principles.

I realise every dyslexic is on their own journey coping and developing an understanding on how being dyslexic works for them. We all have different experiences of school etc.  

For me personally I am very open and positive about being dyslexic at every opportunity. Some dyslexics don't even talk about it to their friends. I totally understand why that is.

Anyway before I make this into another mega blog sheesh. The idea behind the shop and positive logos is to enable us to advocate for a more positive profile of dyslexia. Enable dyslexics to get together and share experiences and offer each other support. To start building a coherent dyslexic community. To make the invisible dyslexic visible. We can be ignored when we are visible not so easy to do that if we can be seen.

Yes I am probably just nuts but that's just par for my course lol

Peace love and groovyness to all you fab dyslexic out there.....

PS: My application for a new business mentor with the Cranfield Trust was successful which is fab.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC online shop

#Dyslexic #diversity is #fab

#Dyslexia a difference that reflects #diversity #vivaladifference

We must change the negative narrative around dyslexia to change what is a dyslexia unfriendly society. This cannot be achieved in one week or month in every year and it cannot be achieved unless we come together as a global social movement / community.

I assessed a Lord Mayor of Lambeth who was in his 60s. He was a fab team leader had fab empathy, high emotional intelligence and knew how to delegate and communicate and was a fab problem solver. He was also dyslexic and working in the political arena for over 30 years. 

Dyslexia gives so many advantages but for many of us our education systems still fail us. Many of us never realise those advantages. This is because so many of us never get a dyslexia assessment or any dyslexia support. 

Society disables dyslexics and this disabling begins in schools that still fails to teach far too many of us in ways we can learn and taught by teachers not trained to teach us within inclusive learning environment. 



There are some fab schools and brilliant teachers doing great work out there but we in the dyslexia world need many more of both.

We are still using a medical discrepancy model of dyslexia that tells us our brains are broken and do not work normally. What ever normally means?

This is a fallacy we are not broken or disabled we are different. #Dyslexia is a difference that reflects #diversity ‪#‎uniquedyslexic‬ ‪#‎vivaladifference‬. 

Our education systems need to enable us to learn and enable dyslexics to embrace their dyslexia. 

Yes dyslexics do need support in schools colleges, university and in the workplace but not because we are disabled. We need the support because we are dyslexic and our education system is dyslexia unfriendly. There is a difference. In a neuro diverse society we need to enable all to succeed according to their abilities and skills. 

The old medical discrepancy model of dyslexia has gotten us precisely nowhere. We dyslexics need to change this ourselves. We at Dyslexia Pathways CIC support and promote the social model of dyslexia and social enterprise.

neuro diversity is as important as biodiversity different minds = different and innovative solutions

It is often said that dyslexia is a hidden disability we say its about hidden and untapped potential simply because our education system in #dyslexia unfriendly and as a  result fails us.

During our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Campaign a number of people said this was the first time they had knowingly spoken to another dyslexic about being dyslexic and shared their experiences of being dyslexic to others.

If we are going to change this and create a community we need to be visible. We have added three new dyslexia and neuro difference shoulder bags to our shop. Just follow the links give us a like or better still buy a bag for dyslexia month.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC is a not for profit social enterprise

A huge KUDOS to every dyslexic warrior and hero out there. Yes being dyslexic or the parents of a dyslexic can be an isolating experience. But remember:

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

regards

Steve McCue