The Gift of Dyslexia
Dyslexic people have an edge with their unique perception of the world. Yet only 3% of people see dyslexia as a positive attribute, most people who lack an understanding of what it truly is, think that dyslexic people are stupid or ''special'', the word that is used in a demeaning way to politely describe people with certain disabilities.
The truth is that people who were or are dyslexic have been successful pioneers of the world and major contributors to technology, science, art, politics, economics, culture, literature and every area of progress. To name some famous dyslexic people here- Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Willem Johan Kolff, John F. Kennedy, Steve Jobs co-founder of Apple, inventor of the iPhone, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Lewis Carroll, Graham Bell who invented the telephone, Maggie Aderin Pocock, astronomer and space scientist, James Lovelock, John Lennon, Pablo Picaso, Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson, Orlando Bloom, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Samuel R. Delany and many more amazing people.
Just because dyslexic people do not fit into the mainstream education system, it doesn't mean they are stupid, our education system is designed to have everyone moulded the same way, thinking uniformly and expects everyone to learn uniformly. The fact is we all think and learn differently, some more so than others. Educational establishments may want to take this into account and update their systems as most are archaic and are not designed to nurture or encourage students who learn and perceive the world differently or have alternative approaches to tackle problems. Dyslexics have a difference in their brains that makes them literally see the world with a fresh perspective. Some may be surprised to find that 40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic!
I was diagnosed as dyslexic in school and in some subjects, I excelled in the class and in others I was at the bottom, because my school did not have the tools to support dyslexic students. This may have hampered a few of my goals but my passion for writing made me overcome some aspects of my dyslexia and my perseverance paid off. I still make mistakes and work much harder to edit my work than the usual writer, but I have overcome many obstacles. I've published a book, I had one of my articles in The Ecologist magazine and other well known environmental websites. I was offered postgraduate opportunities at Westminster School of Journalism and Goldsmiths College. I am also an English TEFL teacher, my students think I'm a good teacher, which always surprises me. I am also working on several more books and a screenplay project. I am one of those dyslexic thinkers who approach the world's problems differently, which is why I am passionate about ecological solutions as one of my areas of interest. I am working on some fresh approaches to land conservation projects in my free time. My brain is whirling away usually when I am trying to sleep late at night, it decides it wants to create a new project, the hardest thing is switching off at times and not having enough resources to realize some of these projects.
So if you or your children are dyslexic in some way, do not despair, do not give up, keep persevering and you will realize your dreams eventually, today we have far more tools to our advantage than dyslexic people did forty years ago or earlier. The value of dyslexic individuals is overlooked and their contribution to society is so beneficial for humanity to evolve and overcome major problems, dyslexia gives them an edge to provide a unique thinking approach to all aspects of society and tackling problems or creating solutions in ways that most wouldn't think of.
Here is a great talk by Kate Griggs who is co-founder of Xtraordinary people with Richard Branson
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