Our friends over at Dyspla, are always championing the great work of dyslexic writers. When looking through the great resources and content on their site I came across this cool project.
On their website Dyspla say, “The Letters Project is our way of engaging with as many dyslexic writers from around the world as we can. We invite everydyslexicaround the world to submit… This can be a letter, drawing, painting, poem, short story, or anything else that can be popped into an envelope.
The only requirements are that the work is original, handmade, and spell check is not allowed. Oh, and one more thing: if you’re writing a letter, they must all be handwritten.”
Each month we’re doing our bit to promote Dyslexic writing by showcasing some of our favorite letters from the project.
Heartache, Books and Confusion
Our anonymous writer speaks about their time with a bus load of books (literally). As they explore this new world of books, the writer cant help but be fascinated with all the different letters tucked in the books. However as our writer slowly begins to think reading other peoples letters is wrong, events g surreal and the writer finds them-self in a nurse’s office.
Click on image to enlarge:
Click here to see all submissions for this project.
Curation and words by Vanessa Rocha our resident Lexic (or if you’re a film buff, you might want to check out her review blog Ereimul Reviews).
Subscribe on iTunes to make sure you never miss an other show.
Sarah Chapman is a campaigner, entrepreneur, course manager, mother of two and force to be reckoned with. If you are familiar with work of Jay Z. There’s a line in one of his tracks where he states, for him, ‘difficult takes a day’ and ‘impossible takes a week’. Looking a some of what Sarah has achieved, these lyrics could have been penned by Jay Z while attending one of Sarah’s events. But when talking to Sarah, her bubbly personality and infectious passion for her cause reveal little about her turbulent past. On The Codpast we generally celebrate the positives of dyslexia, but in this episode we hear the story of how, in the wrong environment dyslexia can be devastating. This episode really illustrates how a little understanding and the right support for Dyslexia can make a massive difference to one’s personality, aspirations and level of achievement.
Listen to the trailer here and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher or SoundCloud to hear the full episode when it is uploaded next month.
Before starting The Codpast, I’d been working as a corporate video producer. I was always behind the scenes and had no ambition to be in front of the camera or mic. To this day, trying to become a celebrity is not a driving factor for what I do. What drives me is that moment when I press play and the results of weeks of hard work come to fruition. When I hear the elements of a great story start to unravel itself in front of my ears, it’s electrifying.
At the time of recording I never quite know if it was a good interview or not. I do loads of prep so am generally ready for any eventuality, but when you are under pressure, need to remember your questions, keep your adlibs smooth and flowing, make sure audio levels are correct, check your still recording… remembering how well the show went is the last thing on your mind.
One of the things I find hardest is trying to get the balance right. The Codpast is a show about Dyslexics for Dysexics. But I also want it to appeal to non-dyslexics (Lexics). The two reasons I do this show are:
To inspire Dyslexics by showing them people just like themselves that have achieved the seemingly impossible.
To raise the profile of Dyslexia amongst Lexic’s. I want to do this by creating captivating shows that draw attention to the issues surrounding Dyslexia, without ramming Dyslexia down people’s throats.
One of the hardest parts about this is creating balance. When I produce video this is easy, I will interview someone for about 15 minutes and then cut their response down to 3 minutes. Interviewing someone for a 40 minute podcast is a totally different kettle of fish. All of the answers are used and so are my questions. I have to pace the interview well or the show is over too quickly. If I pace it too slowly there’s a danger the interview will become boring or need lots of time consuming editing. Until I started presenting this show I never really appreciated what a skill and craft interviewing is. Now, I love to watch when people do it well.
I recently came across this video where the late Joan Rivers interviews one of my favorite dyslexics, Alyssa Milano. This is the perfect Dyslexic conscious interview, humorous, informative and not too in your face.
Watch and learn!
For more news and views on dyslexia check out The Codpast, the Internets first Dyslexia Podcast. Listen Here
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORK PLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
For Dyslexia Awareness Week 2014, as well as attending all of our local events, we commissioned a series of blogs dealing with a subject close to my heart, Dyslexia in the workplace. We reached out to bloggers across the globe, to share their stories of how dealing with Dyslexia in a work environment had effected their workplace experience. We ended up with a set of fantastically diverse pieces of work, which we released daily throughout Dyslexia Awareness Week.
We have compiled all of the posts into one, so if you missed them or just particularly liked a piece and would to like read it again, you can now easily find it right here.
DAY 1: ROB’S STORY
I worked in Information Technology (IT) for many years. In terms of the problems I faced, I could write a very long story about that, but I will spare you. In short, lack of understanding from managers and colleagues was an issue. Concentrating in open plan offices was a big problem for me, noise reduction headphones were of limited effect. Personal organisation was a problem. As were working memory issues, in terms of remembering instructions, keeping up in conversations and in meetings. Proof reading and accurate interpretation of data on spread sheets were problems at times as well. Also, the constant hit to my confidence was crippling at times.
I worked for nearly 12 years in a large company, the first five years were good. I worked in IT applications support were my problem solving and people skills were heavily utilised. But after that in the natural progression of a career, I was moved on to supposedly bigger and better things, but the jobs prayed on my weaknesses more. I ended up working in the Project Office and this job did not suit me at all. After over a decade with the company I was put on Capability Process. Fortunately for me, I was able to dodge a potential capability dismissal by taking voluntary redundancy.That was in 2011 and unfortunately I have not worked since. Despite the challenges presented by my dyslexia in the work environment, a former manager did comment that, although I needed to work on my organisation, I did establish good working relationships, had innovative ideas and good communication skills.
Words by Rob Hood
Rob Hood is based in Worcester and is a qualified systems analyst with 12 years of experience in the field. He is currently looking for both permanent and temporary employment in Project Management or IT Business Analysis.
‘Dyslexia doesn’t affect your brain. It effects your abilities. It has nothing to do with your memory.’ This was said to me whilst I sat in a Job centre, recently redundant. It was said to me because I couldn’t remember my address properly. The woman who was taking my information accused me of trying to give in a false address, because I had to correct myself twice whilst giving it to her. I said I was really sorry, I struggle with all the numbers and spelling of it because I have dyslexia. She rolled her eyes and basically began to tell me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I couldn’t miss the patronising tone. She said ‘Dyslexia shouldn’t affect you here, you should know your real address’
I’d been diagnosed three months before this. 21, in my 3rd year of Uni. I’d always struggled and found things harder than people were supposed to but I kept my head down and pretended I knew or avoided things that would make it obvious I didn’t. I didn’t realise how people would respond to that word. I especially didn’t know how difficult it’s make the job application process. I was already a fish out of water. I hadn’t needed to look for a job in three years, now, I needed to find one as soon as possible.
My dyslexia support tutor told me not to mention it, that I could be discriminated against. Other people said I should be honest. At the encounter with this woman I had a moment where I decided never to mention it again. Then as she went on about people (i.e me) being lazy and dishonest, making up excuses for it, I decided I wouldn’t take it. I gave her my definition of dyslexia, difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, perhaps problems with short term memory or comprehension but, it doesn’t affect my intelligence. She couldn’t sit there and tell me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I think it’s me who can’t organise her words or numbers correctly, I think it’s me who gets frustrated with myself all the time for it. I think I know what dyslexia is. I left the Job Centre shortly after that, I didn’t need people like that making things harder for me. So I went without, found small jobs helping out the elderly or freelance writing until I landed on my feet. Now I’m about to start a great job.
Words and artwork by Jennifer Delaney
Jennifer is a 21 year old graduate in creative writing and film. She’s an aspiring fantasy novelist
and writer with a passion for creativityand art, find more of Jenni’s writinghere.
DAY 3:EMILE’S STORY
I was identified early on as dyslexic, which means I was enrolled in special education classes throughout elementary and middle school. By the time I hit high school, I had progressed enough to study with the rest of the kids. When my last year rolled around, most of my accommodations had been taken away, and my grades began to falter.
Was I prepared for the “real world” by the time I graduated? Absolutely not. In fact, I was downright terrified.
I was never taught how to advocate for myself, and I knew embarrassingly little about how my own mind worked. I didn’t know why background noise obliterated focus, or just how much my letter and number reversals would damage my working life.
I didn’t know about the protections granted to me under federal law, either. I hadn’t realized the workplace bullying I’d faced when I disclosed my dyslexia gave me grounds for legal action. It didn’t occur to me that the applications I’d made a note of dyslexia on had probably been thrown out.
So I’m dyslexic. So what?
Apparently, it’s a bigger deal than I had realized at the time.
Over the years, I figured out some strengths directly related to my wiring. I solved complicated problems creatively, I put effective displays together in eye catching ways, and I was often praised about how well I handled customers. That creativity, big picture thinking and unique problem solving ability are all qualities closely tied into my dyslexia.
Since then, I’ve learned to concentrate on the gifts dyslexia gives me. Maybe working a register isn’t for me, but selling merchandise on the floor is just as valuable. I may not be great at data entry, but I can still write entertaining and informative articles.
There’s a place for everyone, even those of us with dyslexia. The world still has towers of ignorance all over the place, but when we demonstrate our strengths without shying away from what we are, we transform them into monuments of change.
Can we prevent this from happening to future generations? Absolutely. Here are a few places to start:
Spread awareness of what dyslexia is and the gifts associated with it
Teach children to advocate for themselves as early as possible
Make the rights available to dyslexics widely accessible
Standing up for ourselves and spreading awareness are the first steps towards a happier world.
Words by Emilie Peck
Emilie is a freelance writer who lives in the United States with her husband and a small herd of cats. When she’s not spreading awareness about dyslexia and related issues on her blog, Alternative Wiring, she dabbles in textile based crafts, jewelry making, upcycling and creating fictional worlds.
DAY 4:LIAM’S STORY
Liam is on the higher end of the dyslexia spectrum, but still managed to get through school and college. He eventually graduated Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in BA Product Design. After graduating Liam set about finding the elusive dream job. Hear what happened next in Laim’s better/sweet experience with Dyslexia in the workplace.
Interviewee Liam de la Bedoyer
Liam is 25 and lives his life how he designs it – keeping it simple but making it a great experience.
A dyslexic walks into a bra. Why dyslexics makes great comedians.
I’ve heard a lot of people call dyslexia a “gift”. If feeling inferior in school, struggling to get respect and feeling overwhelmed with the fear of looking stupid in the work place was a gift, then if guess it’s a pretty big gift. That’s what I used to think.
However it wasn’t until I started to learn a little bit more about life that I discovered that the kids in school who got A grades had grown up into adults who liked me because I am funny.
If you like the lime light, and most of us do, you will quickly discover that dyslexia has been a friend you’ve taken for granted over the years. Most people have a filter between the brain and the mouth that manages to keep weird thoughts in and turn normal logical thoughts into conversation topics. But dyslexics are not very good at this. And that’s why they are just so bloody fun to have around.
A comedian’s job is to take a normal part of every day life and twist it into a bizarre story. If this is done right, you can do it with the most terrible of things. Suddenly the Ebola virus does not seem as bad when the comedian has bitten into it, turned it into something funny,and spat out comedy gold in front of an audience.
Often, dyslexics are not trying to be funny and it certainly isn’t right to laugh when somebody is trying to put together a constructive thought. However, if you make people laugh then use it to your advantage. what can be better than making people happy? I’m not trying to sound like George Bailey from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ here but seriously, if you can make someone smile then do it. Dyslexia really does help with that.
I remember the day when dyslexia worked in my favour. It was March 1st 2002. I was 12 years old. It was St David’s day (oh, by the way I’m Welsh and grew up in Wales) There was a talent contest in school andI was in a junk band. For those of you who don’t know, a junk band is where you make musical instruments out of bits of junk you find. My role was the drummer. I played the drums made out of a cardboard box and some chair legs that I found on a skip behind the school. After the performance there was some feedback off the music teacher. About 300 12 year olds sat in the assembly hall and waited to hear what the music teacher had to say. My band’s review was as follows:
Music teacher: “Great energy in the band boys. Really liked the solo. Where did you get the chair legs from?”
Me: “um, we got them off a chair”
The assembly hall erupted in laughter.
Music Teacher. “Well, ask a silly question!”
That was a great day for me and it probably started my lifelong addiction to making people laugh. But (and this is my point) I wasn’t TRYING to be rude or funny. I wasn’t that type of kid. I knew she had asked that question because she thought that we had broken one of the school chairs. And I answered it in the attempt of defending myself. A non dyslexic answer would’ve been “we got it from a broken chair that we found In a skip” but because the dyslexic brain cannot process a coherent answer under pressure, the answer came as very blunt, cheeky and therefore funny.
And dyslexia doesn’t just help with comedy. Walk into any artistic district I’m your city and I guarantee you will see a lot of dyslexic people. A lot of artists, inventors, actors, writers and even scientists have dyslexia to thank for their outlook on life.
So the next time you feel down about having dyslexia, remember that you see the world differently to most people. That is a fantastic gift. Use it wisely!
Growing up with dyslexia, I knew that I did things differently than my peers at school – I was unable to sound out words like my sister or read an entire book in one sitting like my friends. Despite those “shortcomings”, I taught myself how to navigate through school. It wasn’t always easy, but I knew I had the support of teachers and family if my struggles ever felt overwhelming. The most important thing for me in overcoming and living with my dyslexia was a supportive and open network of people around me. When it came time to move on from a school setting to the workplace, I knew I needed to find an environment where I felt supported even though I did things differently than most people. For me, this place was Google. I spent two summers interning at Google, and during that time I developed a group of mentors and friends whom I felt comfortable working with and going to for advice.
After a year at Google, I have learned that work is much different than school and that some of the work I’m expected to do is not easy for a dyslexic. Even though the days of test taking or never ending reading assignments are behind me, I still encounter challenges like writing a social post or editing a blog post for work. Not only has Google given me the tools I need to do my job, but it has also provided a work environment where everyone has been very understanding of my challenges and has always tried to help me find a place within Google that would highlight my strengths while supporting me as I continue to learn. Not only is Google very innovative with respect to the products it produces, but it is also very open minded and supportive of differing ways workers might think or accomplish their jobs. Being at ease knowing that Google accepts and even encourages people who think in different ways, I do not obsess as much about my weaknesses like I did at school. As a result I feel comfortable expressing myself in meetings and in written communications. A year back I would never feel comfortable writing a blog post about my dyslexia, but I have learned not to be afraid writing. This in turn has made me a better writer and communicator.
Words by Hena Haines
Hena is currently an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Google working on the Google Maps for Work team. Previously, Hena was working on Google Search and Google Wallet. Hena received a degree from Harvard in Economics in 2013, graduating Magna cum laude with high honors as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Here is the video that Rob sent me in his original email.
Skip to 01:10, 19.10 and 50.25 for Hena’s bits:
DAY 7:SEAN’S STORY
I was recently ask to be the guest of honor at the Moat School in West London as part of their founders day celebrations. The Moat school is an independent school founded to nurture Dyslexic children that have struggled in main stream education. As well as sitting at the front of the event with the Head Mistress and giving out prizes, part of my duties involved given a speech! Up until that point I’d never given a speech in my life and this truly was a baptism of fire as there was almost 300 in the audience. The speech was recorded and although I cringe every time I watch the video I’m told that the speech went down pretty well.
Words by Sean Douglas
For more news and views on dyslexia check out The Codpast, the Internets first Dyslexia Podcast. Listen Here
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORKPLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
As Dyslexia Awareness Week finally comes to a close, I’m sure you will join me in thanking all those that contributed to this series of guest posts. I’d also like to say a massive thanks to Bitzy and Vanessa; two very cool Lexics that help out with, ‘The Codpast’. Without these two, ‘The Codpast’ would no way be as varied and as comprehensive a place to visit. Finally thanks to you guys for navigating to this blog everyday and leaving such lovely comments.
I guess I couldn’t end the week without a contribution from myself. An experience I had in the workplace, in many ways was the catalyst that brought ‘The Codpast’ into being. So I guess I should share this story with you as part of this series of posts.
I’m going to do this in a slightly different way than my other contributors. For my contribution I am gonna submit a video. I was recently ask to be the guest of honor at the Moat School in West London as part of their founders day celebrations. The Moat school is an independent school founded to nurture Dyslexic children that have struggled in main stream education. As well as sitting at the front of the event with the Head Mistress and giving out prizes, part of my duties involved given a speech! Up until that point I’d never given a speech in my life and this truly was a baptism of fire as there was almost 300 in the audience. The speech was recorded and although I cringe every time I watch the video I’m told that the speech went down pretty well.
SEAN’S STORY:
Words by Sean Douglas
If you’ve enjoy this or any of the other blog posts this week, connect with us on social media or sign up to our mailing list for more of the same: TwitterFacebookEmail
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORK PLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
In Monday’s post I explained that an email from a listener called Rob was what got me thinking about doing this series of blog posts. In that initial email, Rob drew my attention to a video created by Dyslexic Advantage, which dealt with the subject of Dyslexia in the workplace. The video had a panel of guess who all answered questions on how Dyslexia had effected them. One of the panelists that I thought it might be interesting to hear from was Google employee Hena Haines. I’d often heard that companies like Google, Facebook and Apple are places where right brained thinkers are embraced. So I tracked Hena down to get the lowdown on exactly what it’s like to be a Dyslexic employee working in the tech sector.
HENA’S STORY:
Growing up with dyslexia, I knew that I did things differently than my peers at school – I was unable to sound out words like my sister or read an entire book in one sitting like my friends. Despite those “shortcomings”, I taught myself how to navigate through school. It wasn’t always easy, but I knew I had the support of teachers and family if my struggles ever felt overwhelming. The most important thing for me in overcoming and living with my dyslexia was a supportive and open network of people around me. When it came time to move on from a school setting to the workplace, I knew I needed to find an environment where I felt supported even though I did things differently than most people. For me, this place was Google. I spent two summers interning at Google, and during that time I developed a group of mentors and friends whom I felt comfortable working with and going to for advice.
After a year at Google, I have learned that work is much different than school and that some of the work I’m expected to do is not easy for a dyslexic. Even though the days of test taking or never ending reading assignments are behind me, I still encounter challenges like writing a social post or editing a blog post for work. Not only has Google given me the tools I need to do my job, but it has also provided a work environment where everyone has been very understanding of my challenges and has always tried to help me find a place within Google that would highlight my strengths while supporting me as I continue to learn. Not only is Google very innovative with respect to the products it produces, but it is also very open minded and supportive of differing ways workers might think or accomplish their jobs. Being at ease knowing that Google accepts and even encourages people who think in different ways, I do not obsess as much about my weaknesses like I did at school. As a result I feel comfortable expressing myself in meetings and in written communications. A year back I would never feel comfortable writing a blog post about my dyslexia, but I have learned not to be afraid writing. This in turn has made me a better writer and communicator.
Words by Hena Haines
Hena is currently an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Google working on the Google Maps for Work team. Previously, Hena was working on Google Search and Google Wallet. Hena received a degree from Harvard in Economics in 2013, graduating Magna cum laude with high honors as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Here is the video that Rob sent me in his original email.
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORKPLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
One of the things I find most frustrating about being dyslexic, is when things that other people seem to breeze through effortlessly, take me immense amounts of time and concentration to achieve the same goal. For instance, it would take me a good two weeks to write a college essay of the modest length of 1500 words. Whereas my classmates would knock up that same essay in their lunch break and get similar results. Nowadays, although my writing speed has improved, things like emails still take me an age, while my colleagues seem to fire off a whole batch in the time it takes them to exhale. As disheartening as this is there are plenty of situations where the advantage of speed over steady can be flipped on it’s head; where taking your time means you notice things that others miss. I think it was Ferris Buller that said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. I think he may have been right. Although my essays took me what felt like a life time to write, my tutors said they were some of the most interesting and entertaining to read. Maybe there is something to be gained by taking things slow. Noticing the little things that others miss is what many comedians base their whole careers on. As today’s guest blogger explains there are many advantages to being a Dyslexic comedian.
JOE’S STORY:
A dyslexic walks into a bra. Why dyslexics makes great comedians.
I’ve heard a lot of people call dyslexia a “gift”. If feeling inferior in school, struggling to get respect and feeling overwhelmed with the fear of looking stupid in the work place was a gift, then if guess it’s a pretty big gift. That’s what I used to think.
However it wasn’t until I started to learn a little bit more about life that I discovered that the kids in school who got A grades had grown up into adults who liked me because I am funny.
If you like the lime light, and most of us do, you will quickly discover that dyslexia has been a friend you’ve taken for granted over the years. Most people have a filter between the brain and the mouth that manages to keep weird thoughts in and turn normal logical thoughts into conversation topics. But dyslexics are not very good at this. And that’s why they are just so bloody fun to have around.
A comedian’s job is to take a normal part of every day life and twist it into a bizarre story. If this is done right, you can do it with the most terrible of things. Suddenly the Ebola virus does not seem as bad when the comedian has bitten into it, turned it into something funny,and spat out comedy gold in front of an audience.
Often, dyslexics are not trying to be funny and it certainly isn’t right to laugh when somebody is trying to put together a constructive thought. However, if you make people laugh then use it to your advantage. what can be better than making people happy? I’m not trying to sound like George Bailey from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ here but seriously, if you can make someone smile then do it. Dyslexia really does help with that.
I remember the day when dyslexia worked in my favour. It was March 1st 2002. I was 12 years old. It was St David’s day (oh, by the way I’m Welsh and grew up in Wales) There was a talent contest in school andI was in a junk band. For those of you who don’t know, a junk band is where you make musical instruments out of bits of junk you find. My role was the drummer. I played the drums made out of a cardboard box and some chair legs that I found on a skip behind the school. After the performance there was some feedback off the music teacher. About 300 12 year olds sat in the assembly hall and waited to hear what the music teacher had to say. My band’s review was as follows:
Music teacher: “Great energy in the band boys. Really liked the solo. Where did you get the chair legs from?”
Me: “um, we got them off a chair”
The assembly hall erupted in laughter.
Music Teacher. “Well, ask a silly question!”
That was a great day for me and it probably started my lifelong addiction to making people laugh. But (and this is my point) I wasn’t TRYING to be rude or funny. I wasn’t that type of kid. I knew she had asked that question because she thought that we had broken one of the school chairs. And I answered it in the attempt of defending myself. A non dyslexic answer would’ve been “we got it from a broken chair that we found In a skip” but because the dyslexic brain cannot process a coherent answer under pressure, the answer came as very blunt, cheeky and therefore funny.
And dyslexia doesn’t just help with comedy. Walk into any artistic district I’m your city and I guarantee you will see a lot of dyslexic people. A lot of artists, inventors, actors, writers and even scientists have dyslexia to thank for their outlook on life.
So the next time you feel down about having dyslexia, remember that you see the world differently to most people. That is a fantastic gift. Use it wisely!
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORKPLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
Liam was another listener that connected with me online. We talked about his experiences in the workplace that related to his Dyslexia. Since leaving University Liam has had two jobs and although he feel he’s had the same approach to work in each role. In each role the attitude to his Dyslexia has meant his experiences in the two posts have been wildly different.
This entry is slightly different from the others as I have created an audio blog out of a phone conversation we had. Unfortunately the sound quality isn’t as good as I would have liked but bear with it as Liam’s story is brilliant.
LIAM’S STORY:
Liam is on the higher end of the dyslexia spectrum, but still managed to get through school and college. He eventually graduated Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in BA Product Design. After graduating Liam set about finding the elusive dream job. Hear what happened next in Laim’s better/sweet experience with Dyslexia in the workplace.
Interviewee Liam de la Bedoyer
Liam is 25 and lives his life how he designs it – keeping it simple but making it a great experience.
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORK PLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
I never wanted to be a blogger, the thought used to bring me out in hives. But when I started The Codpast it soon became clear that a single monthly podcast would not have the masses baying for more. So I put finger to key and started putting out bits and bobs to fill in the gaps between shows. A few months down the line I’m kinda liking this whole blogging thing.
To be honest before ‘The Codpast’ I’d never really read blogs, but now blog reading is part of my daily routine. Researching for ‘The Codpast’ I have come across many well written blogs, one that is always creative and entertaining is Alternative Wiring Written by Emilie Peck. Emile’s kindly contributed to this series of blog posts.
EMILE’S STORY:
I was identified early on as dyslexic, which means I was enrolled in special education classes throughout elementary and middle school. By the time I hit high school, I had progressed enough to study with the rest of the kids. When my last year rolled around, most of my accommodations had been taken away, and my grades began to falter.
Was I prepared for the “real world” by the time I graduated? Absolutely not. In fact, I was downright terrified.
I was never taught how to advocate for myself, and I knew embarrassingly little about how my own mind worked. I didn’t know why background noise obliterated focus, or just how much my letter and number reversals would damage my working life.
I didn’t know about the protections granted to me under federal law, either. I hadn’t realized the workplace bullying I’d faced when I disclosed my dyslexia gave me grounds for legal action. It didn’t occur to me that the applications I’d made a note of dyslexia on had probably been thrown out.
So I’m dyslexic. So what?
Apparently, it’s a bigger deal than I had realized at the time.
Over the years, I figured out some strengths directly related to my wiring. I solved complicated problems creatively, I put effective displays together in eye catching ways, and I was often praised about how well I handled customers. That creativity, big picture thinking and unique problem solving ability are all qualities closely tied into my dyslexia.
Since then, I’ve learned to concentrate on the gifts dyslexia gives me. Maybe working a register isn’t for me, but selling merchandise on the floor is just as valuable. I may not be great at data entry, but I can still write entertaining and informative articles.
There’s a place for everyone, even those of us with dyslexia. The world still has towers of ignorance all over the place, but when we demonstrate our strengths without shying away from what we are, we transform them into monuments of change.
Can we prevent this from happening to future generations? Absolutely. Here are a few places to start:
Spread awareness of what dyslexia is and the gifts associated with it
Teach children to advocate for themselves as early as possible
Make the rights available to dyslexics widely accessible
Standing up for ourselves and spreading awareness are the first steps towards a happier world.
Words by Emilie Peck
Emilie is a freelance writer who lives in the United States with her husband and a small herd of cats. When she’s not spreading awareness about dyslexia and related issues on her blog, Alternative Wiring, she dabbles in textile based crafts, jewelry making, upcycling and creating fictional worlds.
DYSLEXIC STORIES FROM THE WORK PLACE THROUGHOUT DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK
Today’s entry for my Dyslexia in the workplace series is from a fantastic young writer called Jennifer Delaney. I originally connected with her online after coming across a piece she wrote about Dyslexia for theWomen Make Waves website. In her piece, ‘Loving My Dyslexia’, Jenni talks about some of the issues she has when using grammar. I instantly connected with her struggles as after years of education, tutors, grammar books and online games I still have no idea how to use grammar; the comma being my number one source of frustration.
As well as difficulties with written language many Dyslexics report problems with short term memory. Jenni’s contribution illustrates how a one size fits all approach to dealing with members of the public can lead many to wonder why they bothered in the first place.
JENNI’S STORY:
‘Dyslexia doesn’t affect your brain. It effects your abilities. It has nothing to do with your memory.’ This was said to me whilst I sat in a Job centre, recently redundant. It was said to me because I couldn’t remember my address properly. The woman who was taking my information accused me of trying to give in a false address, because I had to correct myself twice whilst giving it to her. I said I was really sorry, I struggle with all the numbers and spelling of it because I have dyslexia. She rolled her eyes and basically began to tell me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I couldn’t miss the patronising tone. She said ‘Dyslexia shouldn’t affect you here, you should know your real address’
I’d been diagnosed three months before this. 21, in my 3rd year of Uni. I’d always struggled and found things harder than people were supposed to but I kept my head down and pretended I knew or avoided things that would make it obvious I didn’t. I didn’t realise how people would respond to that word. I especially didn’t know how difficult it’s make the job application process. I was already a fish out of water. I hadn’t needed to look for a job in three years, now, I needed to find one as soon as possible.
My dyslexia support tutor told me not to mention it, that I could be discriminated against. Other people said I should be honest. At the encounter with this woman I had a moment where I decided never to mention it again. Then as she went on about people (i.e me) being lazy and dishonest, making up excuses for it, I decided I wouldn’t take it. I gave her my definition of dyslexia, difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, perhaps problems with short term memory or comprehension but, it doesn’t affect my intelligence. She couldn’t sit there and tell me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I think it’s me who can’t organise her words or numbers correctly, I think it’s me who gets frustrated with myself all the time for it. I think I know what dyslexia is. I left the Job Centre shortly after that, I didn’t need people like that making things harder for me. So I went without, found small jobs helping out the elderly or freelance writing until I landed on my feet. Now I’m about to start a great job.
Words and artwork by Jennifer Delaney
Jennifer is a 21 year old graduate in creative writing and film. She’s an aspiring fantasy novelist and writer with a passion for creativity and art, find more of Jenni’s writinghere.
The Codpast 