"Honour Dyslexia" Petition: Downing Street's Response

Earlier this year, we submitted the following petition to Downing Street:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reclassify dyslexia as a thinking style, not a disability.”

Details of Petition:

“Dyslexia is currently classed as a disability by law. This is intensely damaging to the self-esteem of dyslexics. In fact, dyslexics are strong visual-spatial thinkers and often have heightened intuition. While some find the world of work difficult, many excel in areas such as architecture, engineering, design, entrepreneurism and other fields requiring visual, intuitive and/or lateral thinking. There is also mounting evidence that dyslexics can succeed at all academic tasks when instruction is appropriate to the dyslexic thinking style. As a society, our focus needs to be on catering adequately for all thinking styles, not writing some of them off as disabilities. We urge the Government to submit new laws to Parliament to reframe dyslexia as a thinking style, not a disability. Care must be taken to ensure that the rights and protections currently afforded to dyslexics under the Disability Discrimination Act are transferred to a new Equality of Thinking Style law. The dyslexic way of thinking deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Note: the term “dyslexics” instead of “people with dyslexia” is used here intentionally. Dyslexia is not an affliction.”

Here is the Government’s response

Thank you for your e-petition concerning dyslexia.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everybody has the opportunity to participate fully in society and anti-discrimination legislation supports this aim. 

The Government considers that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is the most suitable vehicle for protecting dyslexic people from discrimination based on dyslexia.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended, does not define every dyslexic person as disabled. It is the effect that the dyslexia has on the individual, rather than their being dyslexic, which determines whether they are a disabled person. In general, for the purposes of the Act, a person is a disabled person if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Where dyslexia has this effect on an individual, that person is a disabled person for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and thus is entitled to the full protection from discrimination that is provided by the Act, including from discrimination that arises from a failure to make a reasonable adjustment.    

The Act requires reasonable adjustments to be made for disabled people not just in employment and access to goods, services, facilities and premises, but also in access to education, the functions of public authorities and private clubs. A disabled person who considers that they have been subject to disability discrimination, including as a consequence of a failure by an employer, service provider or other duty holder to meet their duty of reasonable adjustment, may take enforcement action through civil procedures. 

Consequently, the Government considers that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 provides appropriate levels of protection from discrimination for people who have dyslexia and it has no plans to enact legislation specifically for protection against discrimination based on dyslexia.

Sourced from: http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16509

Comments

[Fionna Pilgrim]

Hi Dennis,

I find your comment truly inspirational. I so agree that to be labelled "dyslexic" is a positive thing and that such positivism needs to be more out there.

I also agree that the DDA aspect has put dyslexia on the mainstream agenda; even though, from my perspective, a dyslexic is disabled by society in the way a man would be disabled from walking if I tied his legs to his chair!

Most Davis facilitators are dyslexic, many dyslexics are pedantic: I glory in my son's pedantry even while distracted by it.

I thank you for your support.

Regards,

Fionna

[Denis McCann]

I fully concur with the sentiment of the petition, I am dyslexic and fully understand the issues you are trying to resolve.

I at a personal level do not accept reasonable adjustment - -and I compete on a level, if unequal playing field, but I know of colleagues who for them the reasonable adjustment is a great assistance, further more the DDA aspect however insidious and counter productive relating to the dyslexia message - has at last made dyslexia a mainstream agenda item, and increased the exposure of the subject.

I also take issue with some of the descriptors in common use - for me its about the qualities of the individual - When engaging with Dyslexics the terminology used, and the methodologies employed, often go to reinforce the misconceptions, almost like the early 1980's well meaning individual, inadvertently reinforcing racial or disability stereotypes.

Dyslexics are people not diseases, they don't 'suffer from dyslexia', albeit the obstacles and frustrations they meet may certainly cause some suffering.

You would never consider saying that someone who was artistic was ‘someone who suffered with art’ or was a ‘person with art’ even if that artistic bent caused untold frustrations in their life as in Van Gough’s case – Dyslexia for me is the same.

I am dyslexic I am artistic, I am psychic, rather than I am a man with a cold or a man with the flu or a man with a dysfunctional brain. Just because non dyslexics are the majority doesn't make their brains right or best!

Am I a person with pedantry or am I pedantic – I will leave you to decide

Dyslexia is a package, a cognitive profile rather than an affliction, and to refer to a Dyslexic as ‘someone with dyslexia’ tends to reinforce the negative stereotypes as subnormal people.

So if you want to label me – I would be very happy to be called Dyslexic for that is what I consider I am, but don’t label me as someone with something I shouldn’t have!

I am of course not taking issue with you – just illustrating the point from my perspective – I fully support your efforts and offer my thanks for supporting the dyslexic community