Dyslexia, Its not about deficites, discrepancy and disorder

 

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. 

I believe #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

The medical model tells us, Dyslexia is about deficites, discrepancy and disorder.


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

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Steve McCue Founder of Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company

Recalling our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Campaign

 

A Unique Dyslexic badge I designed a while back

Hello everyone, hope you are all well.

Been experiencing quite an increase in numbers of people visiting my Unique Dyslexic Blog recently. Alwasy nice to see my readers increasing.

Today, I want to share videocast I did a while back in which I recorded easly COVID:

This was recorded quite near the start of lockdown. All my dyslexia work had stopped, as had my HND / HNC course in Broadcasting. I think I had just started my Unique Dyslexic Eye podcasting channel. I am wearing my first t short logo designed by myself for the Unique Dyslexic Campaig.. Talking about our successful Unique Dyslexic Eye campaign. Talking about our response to COVID.

Thanks for watching, your comments and share of this blog are invited.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me:

Steve #UniqueDyslexic Eye McCue

A vision which nurtures and values dyslexic diversity

 

Dyslexia: deficites, disorder and discrepancy? I dont believe so.....

me in the Boom radio station during the my Unique Dyslexic Boom radio broadcast

 Hi readers hope you are all feeling fab

Almost all new ideas are generated by individuals but they are given life by and nurtured by communities and the cultures they create.

If we are ever going to move away from a negative medical model of dyslexia that has nothing positive to say to dyslexics or about dyslexia. We, as dyslexics, need to come together and create a coherent global dyslexic community. A global dyslexic community that has a more positive social model of dyslexia vision delivered through social enterprise.  vision  A vision which nurtures and values dyslexic diversity and difference and celebrates all that we have achieved and are still to achieve in the future.

We need to consign the medical model of dyslexia to history where it belongs because it has failed us as dyslexics. The medical model defines us in terms of deficits, disorder and discrepancy. Its a model that has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics.

The social model of dyslexia defines us by what we can do and achieve, it empowers us and it frees us from the negative medical model stereotype that tells us being dyslexic means we are disabled is some way.

That's why I believe that dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity and that neuro diversity is as important as biodiversity. My organisation Dyslexia Pathways CIC was the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the world and we have embraced and promoted the social model of dyslexia.

Why not join us and let's create a global dyslexic community and culture. One where we dyslexics can move take our future in our own hands and forward and enable our dyslexic kids to thrive and succeed.

Anyway many thanks for reading, you are invited to leave comments in the comments section.

Peace love and groovyness to you all

 #PeaceLoveAndGroovyness from me, Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Why it makes business sense to be dyslexia and disability friendly

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

Well every business person in the county is well aware that budgets are tight for all businesses. But every business benefits from a healthy and motivated staff.

Healthy and happy staff are more productive, less likely to take time off due to illness and stress and be far more motivated. 

A business can also serve its dyslexic / disabled customers more effectively by being dyslexia and disability friendly and it makes sound business sense as well.

Remember one happy and satisfied disabled or dyslexic customer, indeed any customer will tell their friends and give positve feedback on social media and in turn will come and buy from your business and / use your services. Every business in the country benefits from returning customers. 

Whilst I do not see dyslexia as a disability it is recognised as a disability under the disability discrimination act. Employers are required under this legislation to support disable and dyslexic staff by making reasonable adjustments.

There is support available for employers to support dyslexic / disabled staff through the government Access to Work scheme. They can provide funds to buy assistive tech software if it required for dyslexic and disabled staff. Last time I worked with Access to Work they were able to provide 90% of the costs towards equipment for dyslexic / disabled staff.

Businesses, training organisations and charities have to remember that 20% of the uk population is disabled, around 10% are dyslexic. Meeting their needs effecitvely can increase business turnover and enhance corporate image and create a more productive workforce. So it makes sound business sense to be dyslexia / disablity friendly.

Disability and dyslexia friendly solutions can benefit non dyslexic staff. Speech to text software is a far more effective and efficient way to input text into a computer.

There are also many ways to enable dyslexic and disabled staff to use the computer more effecivley.  For example many dyslexics can benefit from using different colour background colours on computers.  This could also help non dyslxic staff avoid eyestrain. This is a simple and free solution and there are many others.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC run regular dyslexia awareness training sessions which can be run for whole organisations or in groups with people from other organisations. This is probably the first step in raising awarness of dyslexia.

Then its about providing a safe environemnt where staff can discuss any dyslexia / disability disclose they are dyslexic / disabled. Maybe have a named person in HR where people feel able and comfortable to disclose.

I know it is not easy for small organisation to do this but the benefits from supporting disabled and dyslexic staff far outweigh any possible percieved negatives.

Below are links to my organisation's web sites:

http://www.uniquedyslexic.com/

http://www.dyslexiapathways.com/

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me,

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue