Dyslexia Action Week

Dyslexia is common affecting up to 10% of the population but there are those who with help and support manage their condition and succeed at work. Here are some insights from those with dyslexia in the workplace:

• ‘When I am reading, occasionally a passage will get all jumbled up, but when it happens I have to read and re-read the passage over again.’
• ‘I have the right ideas, but I can’t get them down on paper.’
• ‘Sometimes when I am being told what to do, the words I hear get all jumbled up in my mind and I just can’t take in what is being said to me.’

Rachel Hawes, a trainee in the north east shares her experience:

As my dyslexia predominantly affects reading, I didn't discover I was dyslexic until I started Medical School. Training as a hospital specialist meant that I needed to develop new study skills in order to tackle the post graduate exams, but choosing a specialty that complemented my strengths also really helped.

Having dyslexia is no reason to struggle on alone. Why not check out these useful sites:

Further information from the British Dyslexia Organisation: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

For a work based assessment for support with dyslexia related difficulties contact: Access to work: www.gov.uk/access-to-work or phone 0345 268 8489.