AMERICAN author Frederick Douglass once said: “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
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It stands to reason, therefore, that those in society without the ability to read are forever captive.
Throughout his schooling, local man Jason Carty was dismissed as “dumb” and “slow” for his inability to read.
As a consequence he was subjected to almost daily bouts of bullying and quit school aged just 16 years.
As it turned out Mr Carty was neither dumb nor slow, but he was dyslexic.
Dyslexia is a disorder that is almost impossible for those not afflicted to comprehend.
After all, the words on the page of a book, magazine, newspaper or computer screen are there in black and white, right?
Wrong.
For Mr Carty and, according to some estimates, about 10 per cent of the population, they simply do not appear in a legible order.
To many sufferers, words are jumbled in a nonsensical sequence that requires a veritable age to unscramble.
Their brains can quickly become exhausted as they struggle to decipher a code that comes so naturally to most.
It is no wonder that without the proper tuition and support over the years many have given up and withdrawn – just as Mr Carty did – robbing society of some of its otherwise best and brightest.
Scouring through a list of some of the most well-known people throughout history thought to be afflicted with dyslexia reveals the potential lying within.
From novelist Agatha Christie, to businessman Sir Richard Branson, to director Steven Spielberg, to America’s first president George Washington – the list is endless.
There is no doubt the Australian education system has become better at identifying and assisting people with dyslexia.
But there are still students who fall through the cracks as they struggle to overcome the stigma of their learning difficulties.
There is a lot of money spent helping people with dyslexia learn to read.
Perhaps the next great step forward is to educate the rest of the population on the plight these people face every day of their lives.
- Ross Tyson, deputy editor