Social model of dyslexia and social enterprise a positive and inclusive way forward.

I am a fab one in ten dyslexic

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

I have no problem with being dyslexic. I am very happy that I see and experience the world through my dyslexic prism.

I do have a problem with our #Dyslexia unfriendly education system and society that quite simply has failed us. 

#dyslexia is about diversity and difference and it is society that disables us.


That's why I, and my organization Dyslexia Pathways CIC, say the #dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity and not dyslexia is a condition that disables us.


The negative medical discrepancy model has also resulted in:


Over 50% of people in our prisons are dyslexic


Dyslexics are 6 times more likely to be long term unemployed than non dyslexics


Only 19% of dyslexic adults were actually assessed as dyslexic while at school

Many of us leave school with long term mental health issues, poor self confidence and low self esteem because of our negative experiences in education

This is not acceptable and cannot continue.

We ourselves have to change how we think and talk about #dyslexia, the medical discrepancy model way has not worked for us. Society will not just do it for us.


All the medical discrepancy model has done is isolated and marginalized many of us. Its created a negative medical discrepancy model stereotype around dyslexics that disables us in our own eyes and in the eyes of society. It is a model that has been imposed upon us by society.


We need to challenge it and fight for change because if we don't future generations of dyslexic kids will continue to be failed. Of course some positive change is happening. However, it is far to slow and we have had to fight for that change every step of the way

We need to celebrate and recognize dyslexic culture and all that dyslexics have achieved across all areas of society.

That's why my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC supports and promotes the social model of dyslexia and social enterprise model. It is a more positive and inclusive way forward.

A model that celebrates and embraces dyslexia and recognizes our diversity, neuro diversity and difference. One that does not try to turn us into copies of non dyslexics.

More importantly its a model created by dyslexics for dyslexics.

If you think my blog has something to say please share and like it. If you have something to say please leave a comments. We will never see any change unless we all talk about and share our experiences.

thanks for reading

Peace love and groovyness

Steve McCue Founder of Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company

PS: my dyslexia blog has now had nearly a quarter of a million reads

Unique Dyslexics are #fab

My Unique Dyslexic Eye show logo

Hi to all 

Some of the brilliant Unique Dyslexic Get Creative participant feedback

Last year was a brilliant year for us especially with our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Campaign

Our Unique Dyslexic Celebration of Creativity event was held on 29th October 2014. This was the first event of its kind to be held in Scotland by the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise, Dyslexia Pathways CIC constituted in the UK in 2009. 

I thought I would share some of the great feedback we received from people who attended:

• I enjoyed the experience and learned a lot
• How creative dyslexic people are
• I have found out some useful information that has made me feel happy
• Informed and confident
• Inspired and happy
• Like I have kindred spirits in Scotland Fantastic
• Very happy so interesting to hear so many and empowered speaking about the creativity of dyslexics
• Inspiring and Insightful
• Amazing justified in how I speak about dyslexia 
• Just such a great event loved it
•  Very confident, able and creative
• Fab, Important Valid
• Amazing!!!
• Great fun would love come to another one next year

A big thanks to Dr Ross Cooper (keynote speaker), The Lord Provost of Fife (who opened our event) and to Anita Govan Dyslexia poet and all the other performers at our event.

Some of the great feedback we received from participants who attended out five free Unique Dyslexic Get Creative workshops:

• I feel happy and more confident
• Good banter and love doing anything creative
• I had fun and enjoyed meeting people like myself / sharing
• Inspired and happy
• Included and free to express myself
• Belonging / idea provoking, included
• Happy and not alone with my dyslexia
• I have really enjoyed it and feel more educated on the technical side of music
• I have enjoyed the experience and learned a lot
• Inspired, tired and full
• Free
• Very confident, able and creative
• Absolutely brilliant and a real sense of achievement
• Amazing!!!
• Relaxed, giggly, calm, happy
• Happy, accepted, therapeutic
• Good de stressing relaxing fun
• Great fun would love to do it again
• Clever and energized
• Good about myself and meeting people like me
• Talkative and creative, more confident talking to others
• Food for thought, included, looking forward, satisfied
• I really feel creative and enjoyed this workshop
• Belonging, satisfied, further alerted to my potential
• I felt celebrated about having dyslexia

So please support our Unique Dyslexic Crowd Funding and enable us to share, support and promote our vision of positive social model of dyslexia.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue

Learning cursive just made me wanna curse lol

Part of an art installation I did a while back. The light over the letter I signifies #iamdyslexic

Good day to everyone hope you are all well and ready for the week end.


I have been talking to and reading on social media about other dyslexics experiences and parents of dyslexics with hand writing. I have to say some of what I hear and read it seems like a nightmare for many of us.

So I was wondering about anyone else's experiences with hand writing and being given hand writing practise at school?  

It didn't matter how much school tried to make me learn a cursive handwriting style I just couldn't get it together.

Please leave me your thought and comments.

I know all the arguments for handwriting and hand writing remediation including developing fine motor control, learning spelling from motor memory etc. 

But what about speech to text or even just the lowly computer keyboard etc. Surely the content of what is written is more important than how its being written?

So is having good handwriting as important as it once was?

Isn't the content of the writing the important thing not how it was written either by hand or speech to text or just by keyboard?

Speech to text software and assistive tech.

I personally don't get on with it because it gets in the way of my train of thought. But it can and does work for many other dyslexics. I have never been able to writing using a cursive style. 

I believe handwriting will become like a lost art maybe 30 years from now. I read somewhere that emojs are the way forward for communication. Business will lead here because speech to text is so much more efficient than typing or writing by hand.

The computer keyboard freed me from that particular little handwriting nightmare. I left school with no qualifications mainly because of my hand writing. Now with a computer keyboard I have my masters degree etc. Without it I might still be driving fork lift trucks or carrying bags of cement for a living instead of a dyslexia and inclusion specialist, social entrepreneur, writer of musician. 

The expectation that everyone should be able to write using cursive and neatly is disabling. It is a non dyslexic world expectation and its disabling. My job as a dyslexia and inclusion specialist is about enabling, finding ways that enable dyslexics to succeed. Its about finding solutions and enabling. If I can do that then I have succeeded.

Dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity. We must enable that dyslexic diversity to thrive and achieve according to our strengths and talent. It is a non dyslexic society must to learn not shackle it to non dyslexic expectations such as we must write by hand using cursive.

many thanks for taking the time to read my blog.......if you think it has something to say please share it and or like it.

peace love and groovyness to all

Steve McCue (dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist since 1995)

tough choices ahead ouch

Video from our Unique Dyslexic programme

Hi bog readers hope you are all fab

Going to cost £400 to get my car on the road after my MOT.

Tough choice alert going to have to close my dyslexia web site and lose my dyslexia pathways e mail and domain.

I can't afford to pay for both. 

Feeling low low low ouch but what can I do?

On the up side started providing dyslexia support to 12 dyslexic undergraduate students this week. Love my work.

Thanks for reading 

Steve

our fab dyslexic tool box of strengths 😎❤️

My social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company

Hi Blog readers hope you are all feeling fab.

Dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity. We see, make sense and understand the world through our dyslexic prism. 

This enables us to solve problems laterally not logically, we have a strong sense of justice because of our emotional intelligence. Being dyslexic gives us a huge unique tool box of strengths. 

We can no more be non dyslexic than a non dyslexic can be dyslexic. Yet our education system tries to mould Dyslexic kids into the image of non dyslexic kids. This in itself is disabling.

Our education system fails to empower us to learn and develop through our learning strengths. Fails to enable us to open, explore and develop our Unique tool box of strengths.

We don't have anything missing, we are not broken, we don't have a disability, we don't have dyslexia, we are dyslexic. It's about diversity and difference. 

Society disables and this disabling begin at school because our education system fails to enable us to learn and achieve according to our ability.

What do you think? How would you describe being dyslexic to any non dyslexic? 

Thanks for reading

Peace, love and groovyness to you all.

The nature nurture of being dyslexic or neuro diverse

my initial design for the Unique Dyslexic logo, I wanted the U to intertwine with the D to show uniqueness and dyslexia go hand in hand

Hi blog readers and social media followers

As a dyslexic I have been thinking more about dyslexia as a life experience. 

I experience and make sense of and understand the world through my dyslexic prism. Being dyslexic through eyes, thought processes, decision making and dyslexics senses. There is not a blob in my head that is dyslexic and the rest isn't, it is much more complicated than that.

All of us have different lives have different life experiences as children and adults which can impact on how we manage our lives as a dyslexic.

It's a nature nurture thing. I was born dyslexic no getting away from that thank gawd that's the nature side of dyslexia. 

Then there is the nurture side. Our experience with family, school, friends etc. The nurture side is ongoing and shapes us and who we are through our lives.

Out dyslexia unfriendly education system can leave many dyslexics with feelings low self esteem, self confident, self worth and even long term mental health issues. But we can all overcome these issues. For me personally relationships with friends, reading sci fi comics and books, becoming a musician and computer game player etc all helped me to overcome theses issues. 

But most importantly I had a dyslexia assessment at age 35. This assessment enabled me to make sense of my inability to succeed at school. It enabled me to realise I was not as thick as a brick at school. That is was our dyslexics a unfriendly education system that failed me no myself. Only a dyslexics can comprehend how liberating the realisation of this can be. 

But the effects of experiences at school can still come to the surface. I can still experience periods of low self esteem and depression etc. I can still scold and berate myself for being an idiot. I can say things about my self to myself that would never say about anyone else. 

My own research showed the vast majority of assessed dyslexics, 71%, leave school without being assessed. But so many dyslexics never receive an dyslexia assessment. Nobody really knows how many un-assessed dyslexic adults are out there. But I think this number is very high. 

It's no wonder that so many of us hate being dyslexic, can feel ashamed of being dyslexic. Many will never know the answers to why they feel how they feel. To why that have struggled all through their lives. 

Question to you all:

How do you feel about being dyslexic?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section of this blog.

Anyways thats enough for this blog

Peace love and groovyness to you all

Remember dyslexia is about diversity and difference, its what makes us unique. Humanity and nature have thrived because of diversity and difference.

I know it seems nuts to many dyslexics because of their negative experiences at school but love being dyslexic. 

Dyslexia positive

Dyslexic positive art installation from me 

This shows an art installation I did as part of our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative campaign. 

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

The light over the letter I expresses the positivity I have about being dyslexic. (I know positivity may not be a real word but it should be LOL)

It also expresses the impact that my own dyslexia assessment had on me and my life. My dyslexia assessment enabled me to re evaluate the difficulties that I had at school as an un-assessed dyslexic learner. 

It wasn't me that couldn't learn it was the education system that couldn't teach me in ways that enabled me to learn. A very light switched on eureka moment in my life.

Also I wanted to say it's not how you write but what you write that's important. 

Be that by hand, by keyboard or by speech to text technology etc. 

Writing by hand is just a strategy and its not the only strategy. 

Find the strategy that works for you. Its only a non dyslexic society that says we all have to write by hand.

For me personally I would never have achieved academically without access to a computer keyboard 

Question for you all:

How would you express dyslexic positivity? 

Please share your ideas in the comments section of my blog.

Peace love and groovyness to you all

If you enjoy my blog please share on your social media. If you have any comments please leave in the comments section of this blog

Dyslexia: Its about diversity and difference #vivaladifference #vivaladiversity

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

#dyslexia positive

For decades we have had individual parents of dyslexic kids fighting our education system one at a time. Sometimes they win little victories and get support for their dyslexic kids. Most of the time they face long battles and get nowhere. 

My research showed only 19% of dyslexic adults were assessed while at school. This is simply not good enough.

We as dyslexic adults need to get together to build a social movement where we can work together. Work together to bring positive changes to the current education system that up to now is still failing too many of us and our children. 

Right now many of us are fighting for positive change from the bottom upwards. We have to influence those who are responsible for developing education policy. This can only be done if we work together and take this to those who make policy. 

There needs to be political will to make the changes to our education system that will enable our dyslexic kids to succeed is school. Right now there is no political will to do this. Only by working together can we influence those who run our education system.

We have to make a much more positive case for supporting our dyslexic kids. We have to move away from an old outdated medical model of dyslexia that basically tells us our brains do not work correctly. That somehow we are not normal. That we are broken in some way. What does this say to potential employers about dyslexics? What does this say to our dyslexic kids? 

I am not saying dyslexics do not need support at school. What I am saying is we need teachers in every classroom being trained to teach to meet the diversity of learning needs in the class room. To enable teachers to do their job of teaching our dyslexic kids together with their non dyslexic, neuro diverse or disabled peers in a classroom. All together living, learning and playing together.  

Every day I visit Facebook I read real life stories about dyslexic kids and parents battles to get what is a human right to a good education. Stories about dyslexic kids not wanting to go to school. About parents seeing their children crying and frustration and fear about going to school. This is just not good enough at all. 

I believe it is society that disables dyslexics and that's why I promote and support the social model of dyslexia. I am not saying it's a perfect model but it places the responsibility for the failure of our education to meet the learning needs of dyslexic kids where it belongs. 

Not on the shoulders of dyslexic kids and parents. But squarely on the shoulders of those who shape our education system and politicians why are responsible for developing and running an education system that fails so many of us. 

Dyslexics can and do succeed but many do so in spite of their education not because of it. 

photo above: we must enable dyslexic kids to fly and learn together with their disabled, neuro diverse and non dyslexic peers

We must change how we think about what it means to be dyslexic in a society that disables. We must change how we think and talk about dyslexia.

We have to challenge the current medical discrepancy of dyslexia. It is a model that has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics. It is a model that has only served to trap us behind a narrow negative stereotype definition of dyslexia. A definition that totally ignores and stifles our potential and strengths.

That is why I support the social model of dyslexia. It talks about dyslexia in terms of diversity and difference and it recognises that it is society that disables us.

#dyslexia is a difference that reflects #diversity. We need to unleash and nurture that potential not remediate or stifle it.

What are your thoughts on this? please comment


Below are links to our online social media and sites. Please give us a visit, join it, get involved or share your talents and stories.

https://www.facebook.com/Unique-Dyslexic-Get-Creative-1431413910440768/?sk=app_415675701824636

https://www.facebook.com/groups/unique.dyslexic/ our facebook group page

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.mccue.5 my page

https://www.facebook.com/Unique-Dyslexic-Get-Creative-1431413910440768/ kinda like our Unique Dyslexic campaign come business page

http://www.dyslexiapathways.com/ company web page

http://www.uniquedyslexic.com/ our unique dyslexic campaign page

http://sdyslexia.blogspot.co.uk/ dyslexia blog page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVKyJJgQWkYUa93-GdtX3fg you tube channel

https://twitter.com/SteveMcCue1 twitter

https://uk.pinterest.com/raelthing/ Pinterest

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAIAAAdBzacBPEi2aZeiCBELxGTTQBM_mq3HKU4&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile Linked in

https://soundcloud.com/groups/dyslexia-musicians-group soundcloud page



Anyway that's enough from me apart to say my #dyslexia blog has had over 225.000 reads. Ta to all who read and contribute to my blog including guest bloggers. Hope you enjoy and share my latest one.

many thanks for reading and your support

Peace Love and groovyness to all my blog followers and readers

Wow fab news I want to share about my next dyslexia project

We #dyslexics are #fabtastic lateral thinkers 

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

A few weeks ago I applied for a place on the Active Citizen social leadership programme. I heard today I have been accepted.

This week, we’re excited to announce that Know You More has partnered with the British Council to deliver their social leadership training programme ‘Active Citizens’.

We will be bringing together 30 people from different backgrounds and perspectives to learn from and share with each other. The participants from across Scotland will be trained in the skills and knowledge needed to affect social change in their communities.

The programme is fully funded and has been delivered to nearly a quarter of a million people across 68 countries. It connects thousands of like-minded people around the World who collectively want to make a fairer and more inclusive society.

Alongside the training, and a key aspect of the programme is each Active Citizen delivering a social action initiative in their community. The focus of initiatives will be tackling the environmental problem of plastic waste. There will be more news to follow but we’re looking forward to partnering with a number experts in the field of plastics and waste.

International Study Visits

The Active Citizens programme also creates opportunities for a number of participants to take part in International Study Visits. Again fully funded, it is the experience of a lifetime to see social action in other cultures and meet up with Active Citizens from across the world.

We’re looking forward to hosting our very own group of international Active Citizens and sharing the incredible social activity here in Scotland.

The impact Active Citizens will deliver:

An empowered and skilled community of Active Citizens delivering social change across Scotland

Mulitple social action initiatives that can be systemized and replicated in other communities

Each initiative to directly benefit 50 people in the local community

Influence and inspire a further 30 people to start their own initiative

1 social initiative going on to become a sustainable social enterprise

I plan to use this opportunity to benefit dyslexics living in Fife.

Evaluation and monitoring of the community and environmental impact.

This programme is a fantastic opportunity for any dyslexic or neuro diverse person. Seek it out and see what's going on and maybe even apply for it. Lots of hands on and group work,

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue