Accessibility: Society Disables

Hi Blog readers hope you are all well


I want to share with you as to why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia and social model of disability.




Over the next couple of blogs I want to talk more about my experience of how society can disable and can enable.

As many of you will know I had a couple heart attacks about a year ago. Its been a long and hard road back to health with a lot of hiccups along the way.


About 8 months ago I went to a Business Gateway even event at the new Enterprise Hub is Glenrothes. Brand spanking new building the Fife Council and its partners were all proud of. Its on the first floor of a building above a bank.



I went in the front door on the building and was presented with two long flights of stairs to climb. It was not easy for me as I was still recovering from my heart attacks but I managed to climb the stairs.

Anyone with any real mobility issues would not have been able to access the building.

This is what I mean when I say society disables...........

Hmmmm maybe the thinking is disabled people cant run a business or be an entrepreneur??????

I asked about an accessible entry point like a lift so that people with mobility issues can access the building. I was told there was none.

The reason being there had not been the funding available to make the building more accessible.


I had a little walk around the building and found no accessible loo and other disability unfriendly issues within the building.



Now I felt stuck between a rock and a hard place here. If I complained officially how would that impact on me and my organization Dyslexia Pathways CIC?



I had to make an official complaint in writing no choice. So I did some research to find a disability organization, local and national, to help me with this. I wrote a e mail complaining to my local MSP.

The MSP still has not got back to me and I could not get any help from any disability organization to help me write my letter of complaint. I wanted the letter to be perfect and I felt I needed support because I am dyslexic.



I did get some support from disability campaigner Susan Archibald who informed my she was not surprised to hear my story because its repeated all over Fife.



Last week I went back to the same building for another training event. Still the same problem of access but I was not surprised about that. This time I went on to twitter and wrote about this problem on my twitter feed. I also complained to my feedback form.

As I walked out of the building a person working there called down to me as I walked down the stairs to inform me they were going to be putting in a stair life. I also received phone calls from the Business Gateway to again inform me they were putting a stair lift in.

I am not sure when they will be doing this or if they will be rectifying the other accessibility issues in the building.

But if they do this will be an example of society enabling........EVENTUALLY!!!!!

I have to finally say I hate being put into a position where I have to complain. I, we, as disabled, dyslexic or, neuro diverse people should not be put into a position where we have to complain.

But unless we do nothing will ever change and will probably get even worse by remaining silent.

thanks for reading

Peace love and groovyness to all

Please share your experiences of times when society enabled of disabled you.

Next blog will be about my experience of employers who can enable or disable

😎iamdyslexic and I am not invisible

ARt installatiom from our Unique Dyslexic  programme  Invisible Dyslexic

Hi readers hope you are all well

😎iamdyslexic and I am not invisible

But so many of us are invisible. If we want to have a fab dyslexic community. If we want to celebrate dyslexic culture. 

If we want to challenge and change the negative medical discrepancy narrative around dyslexia. If we want a strong and proud and positive dyslexia community?

We must be visible to each other and we must have our own positive narrative of dyslexia. 

That's why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise. This is a positive, empowering and inclusive way forward. 

More importantly it is a narrative created by dyslexics for dyslexics.

Why not join us and support what my organisation does.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC by dyslexics for dyslexics. Our social model of #dyslexia and social enterprise vision offers dyslexics an empowering, inclusive and positive vision.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC web site

Dyslexia Pathways CIC Unique Dyslexic Facebook

Dyslexia Pathways CIC online shop

Thanks for reading your comments and feedback is welcomed

Dyslexics fallling through the cracks? Maybe it’s a chasam?

me in the Glenrothes town park on a walk

Hi blog readers thanks for taking the time to visit and read my blog

If is often said that dyslexic kids fail at school because they fall through the cracks. What ever that means. Dyslexic students do not fall through the cracks. Our education system is dyslexia unfriendly that's why we fail. Our education system fails us we do not fail it.

Don't get me wrong here there are fab dyslexia friendly schools and teachers out there but they are few and far between.  Research I did showed that only 19% of assessed dyslexic adults were assessed at school.

This is just not good enough.

Especially when you consider research has shown around 50% of adults in our prisons are dyslexic. Dyslexic kids leave school with low self confidence and self esteem. That dyslexics are six times more likely to be long term unemployed than non dyslexic peers.

Dyslexics, can and do succeed in all areas of our society. Indeed, 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. But they succeed in spite of their experience in school not because of it.

We have to challenge the narrative of a medical discrepancy model of dyslexia 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, that we need treatment etc. It's a model that has gotten us precisely nowhere.

Dyslexics have to change that narrative. 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. That's why I founded Dyslexia Pathways CIC in 2009 as a social enterprise. I believe social enterprise and social model of dyslexia is an innovative, inclusive and empowering way forwards.

The medical model of dyslexia is one that has been imposed upon us by a non dyslexic society. The social model is one developed by dyslexics for dyslexics.

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 vision, one based on social model of dyslexia principles delivered through social enterprise.

Thanks reading why not visit our website at www.dyslexiapathways.com/ 

https://www.gofundme.com/rehabmyheart

Dyslexia Pathways CIC founded by dyslexics for dyslexics for positive change


Regards,

New directions: closing doors and opening new ones to find new challanges

a dyslexia positive art installation I did a while back

Hi all hope everyone is feeling #fab and ready for the week end. Its coming up to a year since my two heart attacks. 

My recovery is going ok so far so good and touch wood as they say. I am now going to the gym as part of my heart wellness / cardiac rehab twice a week.

I want to try aqua aerobics if I can find the cash to pay for it. That's one of the reasons I started my go fund me. To help me with costs related to my recovery.

My university work is going fine, have done more dyslexia support sessions than I did last year.
However, I had my first meeting with my new business mentor yesterday. We had a good long chat about the future for myself and Dyslexia Pathways CIC.

He is going to give me support and guidance with a new business plan which focusses on growing the training side of the business.

We may be a social enterprise and not for profit but if the business cannot make enough income we cannot carry on providing the free support we offer and have offered in the past.

I also want to develop the dyslexia / neuro diversity creative side of what we do. In the longer term the goal is there to build an accessible bespoke website for this. I have an outline of a design for this.

It looks like I will have to start winding down my dyslexia university work to make time for all change though.

I am not keen on this idea but 2018 is the 10 anniversary of the founding of Dyslexia Pathways CIC. If I want it to continue for another 10 years things have to change.

I am trying to build a new website for Dyslexia Pathways CIC.  A good friend in Germany is helping with this.

Once again I want to thank everyone who has backed my go fund me. Your support has helped enormously and very much appreciated.

anyway that's enough from me for now

peace love and groovyness to you all

Steve

PS

I have revamped my go fund me by the way please click the link and have a look and maybe even back me and my dyslexia work.

My cardiac rehab go fund me

If I post on your social media and you don't want it there just delete it.

But if you like what you see and read please back me and or share.

Comments welcome also

#iamdyslexic😀 and that's #fab

Hello from me, hope you are all well out there

#iamdyslexic😎Is.I I make sense of the world, feel, understand and think as a dyslexic. I see through a dyslexic prism and for me thats fab.

Nature and humanity thrives because of diversity. 

Just think of all the fab accomplishments of dyslexics and people from all other neuro diverse communities have made and achieved throughout history. #dyslexia is a difference that reflects #diversity. It is society that disables us and this disabling starts in our schools.

What would be lost if there were such a thing as a cure for dyslexia or diversity? It would not be a cure it would be an amputation. 

If I were a stick of rock I would have the word dyslexic written all through me.

That's all from me folks

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #Uniquedyslexic McCue

Guns don't kill people?

Dyslexia Pathways CIC social enterprise logo

Hello blog readers hope you are all feeling #fab. Just a few words from me about guns:


Guns don't kill people

Bullets kill people

Dont sell bullets

Dont buy bullets

Lets ban bullets

lets stop the killing of innocents and making very rich people who make and sell bullets even richer.

Thanks for reading

Steve McCue dyslexic Dyslexia and inclusion specialist now social entrepreneur and founder of Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company 

Society chooses to continue to disable and marginalise dyslexics

#iamdyslexic and that's #fab 

I don't have #dyslexia 

I don't suffer with #dyslexia 

The social model of dyslexia says society disables

so true

society chooses to disable and marginalise us 

that's what I suffer with

but it can also enable 

and we would all benefit from the enabling 

Thanks for reading

A few months ago I experienced two heart attacks in a week. Accept my invitation to my go fund page and read my account. Your feedback and comments are invited. Just click on the link below to find my page.

Please back my cardiac go fund me