Last Updated on October 10, 2023 by Editorial Team
Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by reading and writing disabilities and tends to affect 3 to 7% of the population globally. Although most dyslexics are diagnosed in their childhood, it may be possible to have a delayed diagnosis of dyslexia in one’s adulthood.
Likewise, governmental intervention to a large extent is focused on intervention in schools and other learning institutions to combat discrimination against persons with dyslexia and other learning disorders. However, with growing awareness and passing of laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) governmental concern for the well-being of persons with dyslexia is consistently rising.
Likewise, efforts are being made to place a support system in place to help them achieve certain normalcy in life, to the extent possible. Some of these efforts and initiatives are:
1. Right to demand accommodations at the workplace
Laws in many countries, especially in the UK and US allow a person with Dyslexia to demand reasonable accommodations at the workplace to help them attain their maximum efficiency. It may include simple aid devices like speech-to-text translation aids or some other specialist tools. Employers may generally be willing to provide such assistance if it’s cost-effective. However, expensive accommodations may often be left to the employer’s discretion.
2. Protection from being treated unfairly at the workplace
There have been instances of subtle or overt discrimination against persons with dyslexia. However, employers are obliged by law to take suitable action against the same. If you are of the opinion that you have been overlooked for a promotion or even terminated from your services, discriminating against your condition of dyslexia, you have many legal remedies to support your fair claims.
It is also advisable to consult your lawyer to gain awareness of the laws specific to your region and country. For example, the US has an Equal Opportunities Employment Commission (EEOC) at the federal level to look into such cases of discrimination.
Alternatively, awareness can also be gained about the rights and legal remedies available to you through various government websites that have been specifically put in place to disperse information in a cost-effective manner. Job Accommodation Network is one such support group that connects with persons with learning disabilities, and it even has live chat and telephonic connection options.
3. Young Adult Initiatives
Various Young Adult Initiatives by the National Centre for Learning Disabilities in the US aim at developing the self-confidence and leadership skills of young adults in the age bracket of 18-26 years to help them attain a suitable citizenship role in society.
It also helps them raise their voice to disperse information and awareness about other learning disabilities and ways to overcome them in order to achieve a more inclusive society. Similar youth initiatives are in place in other countries as well. You may check your official government websites for regular updates on the matter.
4. Employment Search Assistance
If you are currently employed, you may seek assistance from various governmental organizations set up to provide help to people with learning disabilities seeking employment.
In the US, it is recommended that you contact Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellors, which form part of the state-supported services to help learning-disabled people seek employment. Alternatively, the British Dyslexia Association is another resourceful way to get assistance while job hunting is another excellent option.
5. Jobs for people with disabilities
Under Schedule A, the US government helps people with learning disabilities in seeking government employment through a non-competitive hiring process. However, you still have to prove your competence and the schedule does not guarantee employment. Similar legislation is in place in several other countries. For seeking such benefits, it is imperative to undergo formal certification of the kind and extent of your learning disability.
6. Living or Assistance allowances
In many countries, there is a legal framework in place to allow financial assistance to People with learning disorders in the form of a Disability Living Allowance. For example, UK laws provide for disability allowances based on learning disorders. In fact, you may also pursue the ‘Access to Work’ allowance if you desire assistance in adapting to your work culture or require accommodations to perform your office tasks efficiently.
In the USA, although Dyslexia is covered under the American Disabilities Act(ADA), assistance allowances for Dyslexia may not be as easily given. However, if you have any other accumulative learning or physical disorder apart from Dyslexia, it may make the case stronger for you. Also as an adult student at university, you may also claim the Disabilities Students Allowance(DSA).
7. Spreading Awareness
Often adults are at a loss on how to get a professional identification of dyslexia support if they suspect it or have come across some recent information that hints at this specific diagnosis. Also, often a correct diagnosis can help them get personal closure and may be necessary for their psychological well-being.
They may also need post-diagnosis counseling and support to make sense of this learning disability. Often support is required to modify and accommodate their workplaces to their specific needs. The Australian Dyslexia Association has done wonderful work in this direction in providing support to adults newly diagnosed with Dyslexia. Similar organizations supporting Adult people with dyslexia are present in other countries as well.
Summing up,
There is a rising awareness that the impediments caused by learning disabilities are not necessarily a roadblock to enjoying a well-rounded and content life of independence and healthy self-esteem. The landscape of legislation regarding the same is changing at a fast pace.
Whether diagnosed in childhood or as adults, personal closure and acceptance of the learning disability and a determination to see it as a mere hurdle and not the end of the road requires peer and community support, as well as individual, willpower. However, further government intervention and support globally still need to be increased to build a world inclusive of people with all forms of learning disabilities.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,