WORKSHOP TO ENCOURAGE ‘DYSLEXIA-FRIENDLY’ EMPLOYERS

Penwith Pathways to Employment, in conjunction with the Cornwall Dyslexia Association, are running a free workshop in Penzance to raise awareness of the challenges and benefits of dyslexic people in the workforce.

Around 10% of the population is likely to be dyslexic, with about 4% severely affected. There are strong hereditary factors, and men are more likely to be affected than women. It has no bearing on an individual's IQ, but often a dyslexic person is judged solely by their difficulties with literacy. This can lead to dyslexic children not receiving appropriate help at school, which merely aggravates their frustrations and low self-esteem. They can go on to find even less support available to them when they start work.

Dyslexia is not just about reading and writing. Dyslexic people often have problems with short-term memory and sequencing. They can find it very difficult to understand the concept of time, so appear to be disorganised and always late. They are the individuals who just 'can't get their act together'. However, they invariably demonstrate an ability to think and work differently which enables them to produce innovative and creative solutions to problems. Many excel in areas such as computer skills, graphic art, architecture and engineering.

Sarah Wright, chairperson of the Cornwall Dyslexia Association, explained: “For any organisation that is truly committed to staff development, an understanding of the right support for dyslexic employees is crucial. The best employers recognise that everybody is different and offering the right encouragement will bring out their best performance. However, in many workplaces there is potential in dyslexic people that remains untapped. Our Employability Campaign is about raising awareness of dyslexia amongst employers and encouraging them to become more dyslexia friendly.”

Penwith Pathways to Employment is a Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change (CN4C) initiative, funded by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Objective One Programme and the Cornwall Action Team (CAT). Its aim is to help individuals take their first steps towards training and work, often a particular challenge for anyone suffering from dyslexia.

The half-day workshop will be held at the Queen’s Hotel, Penzance, on Monday 11 November, commencing at 08.30 in the morning.

Anyone wishing to know more about dyslexia can contact the Cornwall Dyslexia Association Helpline on 01872 274827.