Brilliant Dyslexic Minds Helping to Build Britain

Roger Broadbent, Dyslexia Institute UK

As you read this in your comfy living room at home, factory, shop or office, think about the hands and minds that built it. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has been working on becoming a Dyslexia Friendly organisation, with guidance from the Dyslexia Institute UK.

It was part of this initiative which led to us interviewing dyslexic individuals in a variety of jobs in the construction industry. The range of people’s roles was enormous. We talked to a senior site manager, a quantity surveyor, a builder who specialised in listed buildings, a company director with 30 employees, and others. There are about 2.7 million people working in the UK’s construction sector, and it is strongly believed that more than the UK averages, of 20%, are dyslexic. This is mainly due to it being a profession that can be entered without academic qualifications.

The building you are in may well have been designed and created by dyslexic hands and minds. Many individuals who are dyslexic, dyscalculic, dyspraxic, or dysgraphic, are drawn to jobs that have ease of entry. Many of those interviewed expressed feelings of frustration and low self- esteem when they recalled? their school days, “I wasn’t diagnosed at school and I failed,” said one person, while another added, ?“I loved school, but I didn’t get any support, and it was draining on my mental health,” , “School was awful!” said a third interviewee. ?So many reported that they left school with no qualifications, just a battered idea of self worth.

Construction has given many a pathway to overcome this negative start in life. ?“I was always the dimmy in class, but now I run my own successful business,” said a company director. ?Another person shared that, “I hid my dyslexia... it was too embarrassing.” In fact, it became ?a common theme that people’s careers and self esteem blossomed once they began their career in construction. ?Many recounted that once they got to college or university they were diagnosed and supported with their learning issues. “The University of Salford were fantastic with me, very supportive,” one explained. ?Also, many modern companies have excellent attitudes to their staff’s unique challenges. “My company paid for my dyslexia assessment, and they have been great about it, but I think they recognise the positives a neurodivergent person brings to the building site. I work really hard for them,” said a senior manager.

It’s not all been plain sailing though, with some saying that some aspects of their dyslexia, such as organisation, filling in forms, or reading lots of text under time pressure, can still be difficult. This is why the CIOB’s dyslexia initiative is so wonderful. They are now modifying their processes around qualifications, with the aim of encouraging more dyslexic construction workers to enrol for courses that will help them get on in their chosen careers.

Many said that their dyslexia was a big part of why they had thrived at work. “I consider my dyslexia as a bit of a cheat skill for designers and builders, “it really helps me at team meetings to come up with new ideas and solutions,” said one. Another added, “I problem solve (on site) like no one’s business!” A respected mortar specialist nicely summed it up: “Dyslexic builders see things differently, more of a creative mind.”

Everyone agreed that the dyslexia initiative will encourage people to be less afraid of dyslexia. Mandy Mills, Head of Quality Assurance, and Jo Bennett, Senior Training and Development Manager, at the CIOB, are determined to welcome as many dyslexics as possible on to their courses. “I think the CIOB dyslexia initiative is brilliant. It’ll help people realise that their dyslexia is not something to be embarrassed about,” said one enrolee – who added, “It’s going to make skills development more accessible: I love it.”

A big thanks to all the hugely talented dyslexic contributors to this piece, and to the thousands of brilliant, hard working, dyslexic hands and minds building Britain today.

Here are the names of some of the collaborators; however, some wanted to remain anonymous: Robert White (Director, https://www.davidrwhitebuilders.co.uk/), Matthew Weekes (Building Inspector, NHBC), Richard Gwilt (BIM manager, KIER Construction), Charlotte Harper (Sales & Marketing, https://www.fecil.uk/), Tom Hutchinson (https://century33.org/), and Grant Bradford (Project Manager, KIER Construction) – Big Thanks.

Contact [email protected] for more information about becoming Dyslexia Friendly.

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