Dyslexia overlooked at work
Orlando Crowcroft
![Orlando Crowcroft]()
Orlando Crowcroft
investigative journalist in London & Channel Islands | Ex-Shanghai, Dubai, Lyon, Jerusalem
It affects more than 10% of people, but relatively few workplaces have policies in place to deal with dyslexia, the BBC says. A new report from NGO Dyslexia and Literacy International suggests most countries are failing workers with the condition. Some candidates with dyslexia are hurt by recruitment processes that discourage them from applying, while others say they have experienced discrimination during interview or selection processes, according to another report.
Retired HR Professional (2019). Passionate about Fractional Working & Job Sharing for 35 years!
My son had speech & language difficulties as a child and attended a special needs school until he was 16. Although his speech improved by the time he was a teenager he struggled with academic study during further and higher education and had learning support for his dyslexia and dyspraxia, graduating with a first class honours degree in music in 2015 at 24. Sadly such support isn’t always evident in the workplace, particularly during the recruitment process. Public sector employers claim to be “positive about disability” yet their application forms and recruitment processes are very daunting for job applicants with dyslexia or dyspraxia. Luckily my son has me to support him during this process, although I can’t attend the interview for him, but we always ask for extra time to answer questions and complete any written tasks. Having said this he now works for a local authority music service for two days a week and his manager is being very supportive. I also manage his private teaching practice three days a week to support him with admin. His third job is working in a local food store for two days a week to supplement his piano teaching. Best not to put all his eggs in one basket!