23 March 2020 my last allotment blog for a while will be doing them from my home

its not we dyslexics that need fixing

Hi everybody how are you all out there across the world?

It's not we dyslexics who need fixing, it's our Dyslexia unfriendly society and education that needs to be fixed.

Stats tell us 35% of all entrepreneurs are dyslexic. This does not mean all dyslexics are entrepreneurs. Yes there are a lot of successful entrepreneurs out there. But that does not mean all entrepreneurs are successful. Entrepreneurship is not really a career move for many.

Many of us are just cut out of the job market because society sees dyslexia in medical model terms. In term of discrepancy, disorder and deficits. This model completely fails to include anything about dyslexic strengths and totally misrepresents dyslexia. 

I went the entrepreneur route out of necessity really not out of choice. I am a well qualified Dyslexia and inclusion specialist, I have built, managed and run a Dyslexia department in a college and a number of dyslexia focused projects. 

But when I moved to Scotland i found there are very few full time jobs in schools, colleges and universities that employ full time dyslexia and inclusion specialist. 

When I was looking for Dyslexia and inclusion support work up here in Scotland I couldn't get even one hours work in a college let along full or part time work.

Much of that work is done by specialists is paid on an hourly semester time only basis. Here is an example of how Dyslexia unfriendly our education system is. Stats tell us about 10% or the UK population are dyslexic but in university only 5% of students are dyslexic. 

Over 50% of people in our prison cells are dyslexic. Dyslexics are six times more likely to be long term unemployed. We dyslexics are not inherently criminal or stupid. The barriers are real and they are very tough to break through for many dyslexics.

Many of us leave school with no or low qualifications. Not because we are not smart enough its because our education system in dyslexia unfriendly. 

I was one of those dyslexics I left school with no qualifications and believing I had no academic potential at all. In face I basically stopped attending school at 14 and worked.

We start our working life at a huge disadvantage. We do so because our education system has failed us. The training available is also dyslexia unfriendly. This is changing but it is changing too slowly.

anyway that is enough from me

Please everybody stay safe during these most difficult of times.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all from me and my family 

Steve McCue

XXXXX

Keeping my dyslexic mind and body busy

Tortoise shell cats the dyslexics of the cat world each one is unique each is fab

Hi blog followers hope you are all ok

Change of speed today a little chat from my allotment .

#PeaceLoveGroovyness from me Steve McCue

Free dyslexia assistive tech software

Hi Blog readers hope you are well

Assistive tech can be fab but you have to find what works for you and it does not work for all dyslexics.

A lot of assistive hardware and software is expensive.

My advice always try a trial version before splashing your cash.

A lot of assistive tech is expensive so always try before you buy

There is also a lot of fab free stuff out there

For example Balabolka is a fab, free text to speech package that works ok. This work on desktop and there is a portable version. 

You can have a go with text to speech for free and see if it works for you. If you like text to speech you can then decide if you want the paid version of Balabolka or another text to speech software package.

https://balabolka.en.softonic.com/

Then there is My Study Bar which is again a free set of assistive tech tools. I think it only works with Microsoft Windows.

https://www.eduapps.org/mystudybar/

Like I said its free have a look give it a go.

That's it for me #PeaceLoveGroovyness


Steve McCue

my Dyslexic scenius podcast

Dyslexics do it out of the box

Hi Blog readers and listeners hope you are well

Firstly let me send out positive vibes to all my readers and follower. Coronavirus is impacting on everyone and in all parts of our lives. I am not a religious person but I send you all positive vibes.

I learned today that all face to face teaching at Heriot Watt University is ending on Wednesday 18th March, probably until the end of the year. This means no more dyslexic support work for me for a while. Looks like I will have plenty of time to work on my other projects such as:

My dyslexic autobiography


My Layla's Lemur Children's stories


Working in my allotment

I did a live Facebook chat on Sunday I think I will do more of those

Not sure about my radio broadcasts because I think the college will also be closing

Here is a link to a dyslexia podcast hope you enjoy. Your comments are invited and all are welcome.

https://soundcloud.com/raelthing/podcast-mp3-version

Thanks for taking the time to read 

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Unique Dyslexic Get Creative

An art installation I did a while back as part of our Unique Dyslexic program. The idea was to show that dyslexia is about diversity and difference. The light bulb over the letter I says #IAmDyslexic and that I am a very positive dyslexic and we as dyslexics have very bright ideas. That's why so many of us are entrepreneurs. I think this is probably about a month or so after my heart attack.

HI TO ALL MY FAB BLOG READERS

 

Are you dyslexic or think you are dyslexic? Are you from any other neuro diverse community?

Are you interested in art, drawing, poetry, cooking, photography, music or creative in any way?

Would you like to share what you do creatively?

Then Unique Dyslexic Get Creative is for you. The objective of Unique Dyslexic Get Creative is to support, promote and celebrate the creative talents of dyslexic individuals across the full range of creative spectrum. We invite anyone who is dyslexic, or thinks they are dyslexic, to join the project and share their creative ideas here including:

actors, animators, sculptures, artists, comedians, chefs, dancers, dreamers, engineers, entrepreneurs, games designers, improvisers, information technology geeks, inventors, film makers, musicians, photographers, poets, song writers, story tellers, writers and visionaries.

You do not have to be assessed as dyslexic and we welcome dyspraxic, dyscalculic, AD(H)D and Aspergers individuals to share their creative talents on our facebook page and Unique Dyslexic site. We welcome anyone from any neuro diverse communities to join in and get involved with the Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Project

Some of the creative glassworks people made 

Unique Dyslexic Program:

Research indicates around 10% of the UK population are dyslexic. As a result many dyslexics feel isolated and there is no real tangible dyslexic community to access. Unique Dyslexic seeks to redress this by bringing them together in these workshops where they can develop their creative talents and share experiences of being dyslexic, form friendships and a peer support group.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC and  Unique Dyslexic Unique Dyslexic actively support and promote the social model of dyslexia. We see dyslexia in terms of diversity and difference unlike the medical model of dyslexia that sees dyslexia in terms of disorder, discrepancy and deficits.  

We invite anyone from the dyslexic and or other neuro diverse communities to share their creative work and ideas either on the Unique Dyslexic Get Creative website and Facebook pages.  If you would like to find out more about the Unique Dyslexic Project, you are cordially invited to join the Unique Dyslexic Facebook page at the address below:

                                                     Here is a link to our Unique Dyslexic web site http://www.uniquedyslexic.com/. I designed the site as part of Unique Dyslexic Get Creative. Unfortunately I am struggling to keep it updated and running on line because of funding issues.

our Facebook group page

http://www.facebook.com/groups/unique.dyslexic/

Many thanks for reading #PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all





#PeaceLoveGroovyness

E mail: steve_mccue@hotmail.com     

We must stand together or we will fall apart it's our choice

Hi blog readers hope you are feeling fab

We must all stand up together and shout it out with one voice,

Bigotry, division and hate have no place in our society.

#Diversity + #Unity + #Love = #Inclusion 

Together we the human race stand divided the human race can only fall.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all and thanks for reading

Steve McCue

I am a dyslexic Dyslexia and inclusion specialst and social entrepreneur. I founded the world's first Dyslexia focussed Dyslexia Pathways CIC.