An Invitation
Last year Dyslexia Scotland invited me to talk about becoming a blogger which is on their YouTube channel under career journeys. I wanted this to look professional and asked my friend for advice. They had already aided me when I tried to get the company, I worked for to buy Dragon software. Looking professional in the world of business is key. A few months into the pandemic this advice would help me again when invited to chat with Dyslexia Bytes.
I came across the notes my friend had given me as we sat with cups of coffee and munching biscuits. A part of this discussion was what I should wear for a good first impression. She wrote down bullet points and advised me to practice everything we talked about. Also, print additional information for my audience.
Please note. Now added to my CV of failures. My work at the time was not interested in the proactive neurodiverse community. My friend, of course, told me Well done. At least I had tried.
Martin Bloomfield
My LinkedIn profile has been growing over the last few months, probably through boredom!! I received a message from Martin Bloomfield. He is building an international profile on dyslexia and placing this on YouTube. It is called Dyslexia Bytes. Please can we have a quick chat on Zoom about dyslexia, it would only take 10 minutes? I had nothing better to do, as everything had shut down. Friends already know when talking about dyslexia I just can’t stop! It is like asking a vegan to talk about their diet. People roll their eyes and tell me they want the subject changed.
As it was an informal chat on Zoom, I decided to set the scene. The science fiction geek came out as I set my background with Babylon Five. Wearing a “Dyslexics of the World Untie” t-shirt. I clicked the link which Martin had sent. Something is wrong as he sounded like the squirrel from Hoodwinked drinking Red Bull. I could not make out a word Martin was saying, and we aborted the call. Attempt number two went more smoothly. I find talking to fellow dyslexics easier about the issues which occur. After all, it is a neurological glitch that works differently for everyone. The dyslexic community is more empathetic as people have similar experiences.
I made an example of this by including a story from the Dyslexia Scotland education conference last year. A friend and fellow volunteer were trying to exchange information on Messenger. My friend’s iPhone had a blue background and a different font. I could not read anything from her phone! She had the same issues with me. Trying to share jokes was interesting. What works for me might not work for someone else.
Dyspraxia
The subject of dyspraxia also arose. This is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects movement and coordination. I know through my research the issue has arisen due to having meningococcal meningitis as a child. Nobody had known about dyspraxia back in the seventies after my illness. I know that you can be identified as dyspraxic through the NHS. I do have signs, and the doctor sent me to the neurologist. The neurologist gave me tests and then said to see an occupational therapist. I was disappointed and gave up at that point. One day when I have the money I will be assessed privately.
I move on to stories of attempting to give directions, you could say it is like watching a scene from the movie Aeroplane. The plane ends up rolling into the airport terminal as my arms still flap about like a Loony Tune Cartoon. I need to understand left from right. My partner never gives me the map while out trekking as we end up lost. I can see signs saying two hundred meters, but not being able to judge the distance, I would pass the turn-off. My friends are relieved I don’t have a driving licence.
This so-called ten-minute chat turned out to be longer. It didn’t help that I kept making Martin laugh with my nutty stories. I was not expecting the chat to be as long. He is turning it into a video which will take a couple of weeks. I couldn’t have done too badly as Martin invited me back to talk again about Dyslexia Scotland. The next time it will be four nations and how we are raising awareness in each nation. After this chat, I made a note to myself to receive Martin’s questions in advance. I feel like I have gone through an interrogation. Some research is required for our next Zoom meeting. I know that Dyslexia Scotland will aid me with information.
If you would like to know more, please watch both Dyslexia Scotland and Dyslexia Bytes on YouTube as both are incredibly informative.