What is legal can also be morally wrong and no guide to human decency

1 in ten I am dyslexic logo

Hi blog readers hope you are well:


Our governments and laws they create are no guide to human decency and morality:

The Holocaust was legal and people who hid and saved Jewish people were prosecuted as criminals.

Slavery was legal and people who freed slaves were considered to be criminals by the governments of the day.

Segregation and Apartheid was legal and people who fought against it were considered criminals by the governments of apartheid.

Tory government imposed austerity and changes to benefits is responsible for the deaths of 10,000s disabled and vulnerable people. 


Some people are calling this government sponsored social murder. I will only add the companies responsible for running this are making tens of millions of pounds sterling from this despicable process.

If we fail to hold our governments to account when they are morally and spiritually bankrupt.

We risk encouraging those who would create a new

Holocaust. Who would enslave free people and who would segregate seek to repeat these crimes against humanity today and in the future. 


Thanks for reading, I know its not strictly about dyslexia but I think we as dyslexics have a strong sense of justice. Maybe that because we experience injustice throughout our lives. Or maybe its a dyslexic trait?


what do you think?


please share


Thanks for reading


Steve Dyslexic McCue

Nothing hidden about being dyslexic

Our new tee shirts

Hi blog readers I hope you are all feeling fab.

A short blog this time...……………..

Being #dyslexic isn't about hidden disability. It's about a society that cant see our abilities and a Dyslexia unfriendly society that marginalises us .

An education system that's is so focussed on a negative medical / discrepancy model of dyslexia that can't see our abilities. 

Its about a society that cant get its head around the idea that dyslexia is about diversity and difference not discrepancy and disability.

My social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC logo

Many thanks for reading peace love and groovyness Steve McCue

Dyslexia, Its a nature nurture thing. We are the #fab 1 in ten

we are the #fab 1 in ten

Hi blog readers and social media followers

As a dyslexic I have been thinking more and 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.

Our 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 and my wife, reading sci fi comics and books, becoming a musician and computer game player etc all helped me to overcome these issues when I was an assessed dyslexic. 

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 realize I was not as thick as a brick at school. That is was our dyslexic unfriendly education system that failed me not myself. Only a dyslexic can comprehend how liberating the realization of this can be. 

But the effects of experiences at school can still come to the surface even today. 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. More to the point so many dyslexics never receive an dyslexia assessment never find out they are dyslexic. Nobody really knows how many un-assessed dyslexic adults are out there. But I think this number is very high. At least my research suggest it high. 

It's no wonder that so many of us hate being dyslexic, can even feel ashamed of being dyslexic. Many will never know the answers to why they feel how they feel. To why they 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 or on my social media.

Dyslexia is about diversity and difference not about disability and deficits.






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. I know this because I know this from my own life experiences as a dyslexic as well as from listening to life stories from the dyslexics I have worked with. But I love being dyslexic. 

So it's also understandable that so many of us hate being dyslexic.
 


But is it we who have a problem or our dyslexia unfriendly society?


Anyways thats enough for this blog

Peace love and groovyness to you all

Photo from our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative exhibition, taken with the Lord Provost of Fife

Accessibility issues, or should I say lack of accessibility issues with Fife Council and Business Gateway

I am a fab 1 in ten dyslexic logo

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. The basic idea behind the social model is that it is society that disables.
About 18 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, including Business Gateway, 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.
I had a little explore around the building and there was no accessible loo to be found and other disability access related issues.
Anyone with any real mobility issues would not have been able to access the building or use the facilities.

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. A member of staff did assure me they were looking into the accessibility issues. I have heard nothing since.......BIG surprise there then lol.
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 wrote a e mail complaining to my local MSP.

The MSP still has not got back to me .

A couple months ago 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!!!!!


Another chapter in this little story occurred last week. I say a post on Facebook advertising the facility. It was a bit like a red rag to a bull I asked about accessibility to the building and had this changed. Nothing about accessibility issues was mentioned.
Eventually, I received a response telling me their other building in Glenrothes is  accessible and no mention of the Enterprise Hub I was talking about was made. So I guess  nothing has been done.

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.
Organizations like Business Gateway and councils like Fife Council should know better.
But unless we do complain nothing will ever change and will probably get even worse by remaining silent.

If you would like to visit the site here is a link the web page:
https://enterprisehubfife.co.uk/business-support-services/
It says on the web page:
FLEXIBLE OFFICE SThis flexible work space offers modern, professional and affordable offices, together with state of the art events space, easily accessible co-working areas and private meeting rooms.

Hmmmm

thanks for reading

Peace love and groovyness to all

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


Thanks for reading


Steve McCue

A dyslexic enigma to myself

Me and my fab wife

Hi blog readers hope you are all well and feeling #fab. 

To those not feeling #fab about being dyslexic for whatever reason I send positive vibes to you all.

I am not a person with #dyslexia, I don't suffer with #dyslexia I don't have #dyslexia. 

#iamdyslexic😎. 

I am very happy that I think, feel and see the world through a #dyslexic prism. #Dyslexia is an integral part of me. It is a part of my identity of who I am.

For a long time I was an enigma to myself, and to my teachers I think. I felt just as smart as other kids but somehow I couldn't show it in my school work. School became a place I didn't want to be in.

As many will know I am very positive about being dyslexic.


However, i was not always so positive about being #dyslexic. I'd actually didn't know I was #dyslexic until I was assessed as #dyslexic when I 35 years old. My assessment for  being #dyslexic was the first step to becoming more positive about being #dyslexic. It enabled me to put my experiences of school into perspective.

It was the starting point of my journey into understanding the enigma that was me.

But I also know there are so many #dyslexics out there who are not happy to be #dyslexic. Their life experiences of being dyslexic at school, in work and training have been so negative it eats away at self confidence, self esteem and erodes mental health well being. 

I know this because that's what my negative life experiences of being an un-assessed and unsupported #dyslexic did to me. I know from first hand experience that being #dyslexic can be a bit of a nightmare. I know this because of all the other dyslexics I have supported as a Dyslexia specialist.

I am often asked why I do my #dyslexia work. I often ask that question myself. I guess my answer is, "I don't feel I have a choice". I believe many of us have strong sense of injustice as a result we stand up and battle against it. I think this may be because so many of us experience injustice when we are at school because our education system fails us.

I did some research on when adults were assessed. Only 19% of adult #dyslexics were actually assessed at school. Many #dyslexics go through their whole lives without ever being assessed. Without even knowing they are dyslexic.  This is simply not good enough.

We must change how we think and talk about being #dyslexic and about dyslexia in general. We must move away from a medical discrepancy model of dyslexia that basically traps us behind a negative stereotypical, one dimensional image of dyslexia. It's a model that has nothing positive to say to #dyslexics or about #dyslexia. Its a model that has been imposed upon us by a non #dyslexic society that quite simply fails us.

That's why I founded Dyslexia Pathways CIC as a social enterprise. That's why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia. That's why I chose to found my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC. Simply because I believe it is an empowering, positive and inclusive way forward. More to the point I saw it as a dyslexic way forward.

Thanks for reading

Peace love and groovyness to you all

1 in Ten people are dyslexic

Hi blog readers hope you are well

1 in ten people are #fab dyslexics. Be part of 1 in ten dyslexic community with our tee shirt. Designed by dyslexics for dyslexics and those who support and love them.

http://stores.clothes2order.com/dyslexia-pathways-cic---unique-d/dyslexic/p/1-in-10-again-gildan-softstyle-ladies-fitted-ringspun-t-shirt/

The objective of Dyslexia Pathways CIC founded by Steve McCue in 2008 and Unique Dyslexic is to support, promote, celebrate, develop and nurture the talents and abilities within of all in the dyslexic and all other neuro diverse communities. 

We promote and support the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise. We see dyslexia as a difference that reflects the diversity. 

Where society sees disability and discrepancy, we see diversity and difference and what a fab diversity and difference being dyslexic or neuro diverse is. 

The social model of dyslexia and social enterprise model is an innovative, empowering and inclusive way forward. It is a dyslexic way forward.

Why not visit our little online shop all designed by creative dyslexics t shirts designed by dyslexics for dyslexics.

Thanks for reading......

Dyslexia Pathways CIC is a registered not for profit social enterprise.

Its what you write that matters not how you write it

Part of an art installation I did as part of our Unique Dyslexic Campaign


Hi blog readers hope you are well

Its what you write that matters, not how you write it

What you have to say is more important than the way you say it

For me the computer keyboard liberated me from the tyranny of hand writing

The computer keyboard enabled me write without having to

worry about what people would say about my very messy hand writing.

Writing by hand is just one strategy for writing its not the only strategy

Don't let messy hand writing stop you from writing

Find your strategy be it a keyboard or speech to text

Record it, paint it, film it or sing it

Find your way and have your say because what you have to say

about being dyslexic or neuro diverse is important 

thanks for reading

Steve McCue (dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion  specialist and social entrepreneur)