"A bad day to be Dyslexic"

Dear diary,

After screaming and punching my pillow as a result of the world’s most frustrating day, I thought it best to write down my thoughts. OK that might be a slight over exaggeration but seriously, Mr Dyslexia Difficulties came to visit me today.

So it was the day of the job interview today.

I woke after a fabulous night’s sleep dreaming of Brad Pitt in his youthful years. Looking almost romantically at my clock, my eyes widen. I stare at it in disbelief. I stare at it again hoping I am hallucinating. It’s 8am. 8am!! I overslept by an hour!

Jumping out of bed in a mad panic, I trip over the bag I had meticulously packed last night in preparation for today. I kick it in retaliation and run to the bathroom.

Brushing my teeth I search aimlessly for my hair brush. Where is it? It was here yesterday. I spit out the foamy tooth paste and run back into the bedroom. Looking at my bag apologetically, I rummage through it looking for my hair brush. After what feels like forever removing the whole contents, I find the hair brush hiding in the front pocket.

I begin to curse. “Why oh why?” I mumble to myself.

Hair done… well sort of. I do that funny run walk people do when they are in a hurry. Dodging the contents of my bag sprawled along the floor, I aim for the wardrobe. Dressed in my Sunday best, I head downstairs.

I look at the clock in the kitchen. Its 8:30am. I am meant to leave the house now. Out comes the hurry dance as I move around the kitchen grabbing my house keys and a granola bar from the cupboard.

Putting my shoes on, I stop. There’s something I have forgotten. I stand there looking around. I am dressed, I have my house keys, my bag….. oh drats! My bag! Kicking my shoes off I run upstairs faster than Usain Bolt heading for the finish line at the 2012 Olympics. No time for careful packing so I go for the two hand scope pack. Pushing the clip down, I run back to the door with the bulging bag in hand.

Phew! I didn’t miss my train. I sit at the station for a minute or two and relax. I count backwards from 10, soothing myself from that madness.

The journey was pleasant. I managed to get a seat by the window. 20mins later I have arrived and as I approach the barrier, I swivel my bag to my front and look for my train ticket. I rummage, rummage a bit more. My water bottle drops out and shoots across the floor. Rushing over half crawling, I pick the bottle up and down goes the bag. Out comes the umbrella, purse, pocket sized mac (for those rainy occasions), glasses case, notepad… the whole contents of my bag.
On reflection, the two hand scope method of packing this thing really hasn’t worked. Ah ha! I find it! Hand up in the air feeling like a winner, I place the ticket into my mouth so I won’t lose it again.

Bag stuffed, I’m on my way. Right, time to head for this office.

Hand in my pocket I search for the post it note I had written the address on. Out I pull dozens of the colourful little sticky monsters that are stuck into a mass pile up. Remember to buy milk… nope not that one. Remember to call the doctor. Definitely not that one. Ah here it is … dn9 6rj.

I type the postcode into Google maps on my phone. Postcode not found. What do you mean postcode not found?!  I try again. Postcode not found.

OK. Not a time to panic. I will call them. “number unknown”. Keying the number in carefully once more, I raise the phone to my ear in hope. “number unknown”.

Cursing under my breath I head for the bench in the middle of the station. Hissing at my dyslexia quietly.

Thank goodness for Google. I call the number straight away.

“Hello your through to Aimee at TG Corporate. How may I help you?”

Oh thank goodness. A friendly voice.

“Hello. Yes. Bridget Smith here. I have an interview at 10:30am.”

There is a pause. Pauses are never a good sign from my experience.

“Err, yes Bridget. Hello. Your interview is actually booked for 10am. How can I help you?”

What?!?! Its 9:55am now! How am I going to get there on time. I’m flustered, sweaty and now I am lost. I decide to play it cool.

“Yes that’s it. Silly me. I am actually running a little behind schedule due to a broken down train.”

Lies! Where did that come from? No going back now… I continue.

“Could I just confirm your location as I am walking to you today as opposed to driving. Do you have your postcode to hand?”

Lies again! I have never driven to this office. Oh deary me!

“Yes of course! It is BN9 6RG.”

“Thank you. See you soon. Goodbye”

BN9 6RG. I have gone and written the letters down wrong. I always get my Bs, Ds, Js and Gs muddled up.

Thank goodness it will only take me a few minutes to get there.

I do the hurry walk again. Almost falling through the door I greet Aimee.

I made it. I made it. I made it.

The interview actually went really well. So well that, I got offered the job. All's well that ends well.

Tomorrow’s a new day. I think I’ll increase the volume on my alarm for tomorrow.

Toodles!

Bridget x

 Dyslexia affects 1 in 10 of the population. Some believe that Dyslexia only affects reading skills. It affects a person’s day to day living.

For more information on the Dyslexia solutions we provide, please contact us.

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"The world through a dyslexic's eyes"

Graphic design graduate Sam Barclay has created a fascinating book called 'I wonder what’s it’s like to be dyslexic'. Click on the picture above to see some of the pages from it.

It illustrates how people with dyslexia read words and view numbers and, via a Kickstarter campaign, has raised £16,800 to publish and sell the book.

Sam's story is one of educating people so that they can understand dyslexia and also experience, for themselves, the difficulties reading text and numbers can be for someone with dyslexia. He is also a firm believer that this understanding will help to improve business and productivity.

In creating the book, Sam stated that "What interests me, is the challenges of generating an outcome that questions the users experience in the most exciting way".

Watch his story here http://youtu.be/JbCSbkS93oU

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"A day in the life of ..."

A day in the life of a person who is paralysed from the neck down

I open my eyes. Everything is blurry at first. Focusing on the dirty mark on the ceiling, I do the same thing I do every morning.

Can I move my legs? No

Can I move my arms? No

Can I wiggle my toes? No

The deep sinking feeling of disappointment sets in. I roll my head to the side and look across the room. There by the door is my wheelchair.

I lay there for a minute or two just getting my bearings.

My name is John and I am Tetraplegic. I broke my neck in a motor bike accident almost 2 years ago. My spinal cord was damaged permanently. My brain can no longer send signals through the spinal cord to the muscles. I am paralysed from the neck down.

After months in hospital after my accident, I came home. That’s when the hardest part of accepting my condition came. I couldn’t reach for the remote and change the TV channel. I couldn’t go to the bathroom on my own.

Everything I wanted to do, I had to ask someone to do it for me. After time, I just got tired of asking and I spent days looking out of the window. Reminiscing about running through the park or swishing my fingers in a pond.

My carer walks into the room. Startled, my daydreaming abruptly ends. Lilia is my carer and she lives with my wife and I. Because of my condition, I require round the clock medical care.

See, when you are paralysed although you can’t feel anything, things can still go very wrong very quickly. I have a Tracheostomy that breathes for me.  It’s a small breathing tube that is attached to a hole in my neck. If my Tracheostomy became lose, I could die within a few minutes.

I can also get nasty pressure sores. So, I need Lilia about to keep me on tip top form.

Lilia approaches with a smile and a good morning. Flannel in hand I know this is the start of the long drawn out routine of getting me ready for the day ahead. It’s a good job that I wake at 6am else I would miss breakfast!

The washing took a while to get used to. But now it’s just part of many things I had to learn to accept. She lifts my right arm to wash. I wonder if my arm is heavy?

We chat about the weather as she hoists me into my wheelchair. 8am and I’m on my way to breakfast.

Eve smiles as I get wheeled up to the table. “Morning!” She says. Everything seems so much brighter now.

After breakfast Eve heads off to work. I look out of the window in the lounge and imagine myself waving to her as she gets into her car.

The house echoes slightly. But on with the day. Lots to be done. On goes my headset and I am away with my Dragon NaturallySpeaking software.

I spend my day surfing the internet. Researching new scientific discoveries, reading the news and updating my friends in Australia with what’s being going on here. We speak on Skype every Monday at 1pm sharp.

Eve gets home around 5pm as always. We share our days whilst she prepares the vegetables. I cannot help her with the dinner but then again, I was always a terrible cook!

After a relaxing evening, the lounge clock sounds for 8pm. Dong… Dong … Dong… and so on. Those 8 dings really do ring in my ear. I never did like that clock. I let out a little laugh to myself as I wished I had taken a hammer to it when I could have done. Now it stays there… hung on the wall… tormenting my ears.

Eve wheels me to my bedroom and we kiss goodnight. She hugs me tightly and a tear trickles down my face. Smiling, she wipes it away.

We stay there…. Gazing at one another. Neither of us speaking a word but both of us knowing what the other is thinking.

I am grateful to have survived to still spend time with the people I care about. Time that as an able bodied man, I didn’t appreciate as much as I do now. When you are paralysed, time slows and the hundreds of things you can no longer do make you see the thousands of things you can still see and hear.

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

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"Access to Work – Halloween Special"

It was a dark winters evening. The leaves were rustling outside. Seema Snailgutter was minding her own business boiling a new potion in her cauldron. 1 too many dirty socks were added. BOOM! There was a loud blast, a purple cloud and Seema’s witch like hair stood on end.

The potion had back fired. With a sprained ankle and a broken wrist… not to mention her bruised ego, she was struggling at work. Working as an Administrator for a busy business, handing in documents on time was essential. Seema couldn’t keep up with the work load.

Having had regular check up’s with her doctor, Seema knew that her wrist would now always be weak and she would struggle to use if for lifting and general movements. She tried her best to continue as normal at work, but she was constantly in pain and discomfort when using her computer.

Seema started to panic and worry about the future. Looking into her crystal ball, it all seemed cloudy.

Not even daring to go near her cauldron again… she reached for Google. Hooray! She found the government run a scheme called Access to Work.

If you want to work but have a disability that make working a problem you may be able to get help from the Access to Work team. If you can tick ‘yes’ to the following you may be able to apply:

• Do you have a disability or health condition that has lasted 12 months or is likely to last for 12 months or more?   YES / NO
• Does your disability or health condition impact you on your ability to work?  YES / NO
• Are you aged 16 or over? (Thank goodness she read that there was no upper age limit for support as long as employment is likely to continue as she was 104 in witch years)   YES / NO
• Do you need help with a job interview?  YES / NO
• Are you about to start work?  YES / NO
• Do you have a job or a starting date for a job?  YES / NO
• Are you self-employed?  YES / NO
• Are you a resident in Great Britain? (Excluding Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands)  YES / NO

There were no exclusions for witches to apply. Looking at her injuries, she nodded to herself in relief after answering the questionnaire and contacted her regional Access to Work centre.

South East England, London, East of England – London regional centre – 020 8426 3110 –  atwosu.london@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk - Job Centre Plus I Access to Work I Operational Support Unit I Nine Elms Lane I London SW95 9BH

South West England, Wales, West Midlands, Midlands – Cardiff Regional Centre – 02920 423 291 – atwosu.glasgow@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk – Job Centre Plus I Access to Work I Operational Support Unit I Alexandra House I 377 Cowbridge Road I East Cardiff I CF5 1W

Scotland, North West England, North East England, Yorkshire and Humberside – Glasgow Regional Centre – 0141 950 5327 – atwosu.glasgow@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk - Job Centre Plus I Access to Work I Operational Support Unit I Anniesland JCP I Baird Street I Glasgow I G90 8AN

During the 20 minute phone call she was asked to provide her National Insurance number and her work contact details. She also had to explain the barriers she faced at work and a workplace assessment was recommended. Unfortunately, they couldn’t put a solution in place to help her ride her broomstick again but alternative forms of transport were discussed (horse & cart, magic carpet etc.)

Much to Seema’s surprise it was all very straight forward and provided instant relief knowing that she was getting the help that she needed.

Having completed the telephone application, a form arrived through the post to Seema’s home address for her to check and sign.  She did chuckle watching the postman walk to her front door, dodging the singing toads and the jazz swinging willow tree.

Access to Work received the signed form and an advisor got in touch to discuss the application in further detail. A date was agreed for the work place assessment and soon enough, Seema was sat at her desk with Nigel, the Access to Work assessor, talking through the solutions that could assist Seema and reduce the impact that her disability had on her job role.

A few eyebrows were raised during the appointment. No, Access to Work do not provide spells to make people look like Celine Dion and asking for your bosses’ hair to be turned into green spaghetti is not something Access to Work currently offers. Oh well! At least she asked.

Nigel recommended Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software and training to reduce the use of the keyboard and mouse. This will eliminate the pain and discomfort Seema experienced when using her computer.

A report was written by the assessor and sent to Seema. She then discussed with her employer the recommendation of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and the training.
Her employer contacted the supplier recommended (Freedom of Speech of course!) on the Access to Work report to place the order. As the company she worked for less than 49 employees, they were not required to contribute anything!

Number of employees         Amount to contribute
0-49 employees                   nil
50-249 employees               £500
Over 250 employees             £1000

Freedom of Speech sent the Dragon software to her employer on a next working day delivery service. The software was installed and less than 2 weeks later, a trainer from Freedom of Speech was sat with Seema showing her the software. The possibilities seemed endless using it. It was like magic in the little strange box called a computer that humans use.

6 months have passed. Seema is doing great! She is able to keep up with her work load and has also taken on some new responsibilities.

Her witch practising has also improved. With her new Celine Dion nose, Seema really does feel on top of the witches’ colony. She has also managed to perfect a spell which will turn hair into green spaghetti… just in case she needs it of course!

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"Reasonable adjustments for disabled workers & Access to Work scheme"

Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure disabled workers are not seriously disadvantaged when doing their jobs. Disabled workers are protected by the Equality Act 2010. In Northern Ireland workers are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Workers must be given access to training opportunities, recreation and refreshment facilities.

Employers have to make reasonable adjustments even if they don’t employ the person directly - this includes contract workers, trainees, apprentices and business partners. Access to Work can help employers with some costs involved in making adjustments for disabled workers.

What reasonable adjustments are

Examples could involve:

• doing things another way – e.g. allowing someone with social anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot-desking
• making physical changes – e.g. installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person
• letting a disabled person work somewhere else – e.g. on the ground floor for a wheelchair user
• changing their equipment – e.g. providing a special keyboard if they have arthritis
• allowing employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work – e.g. working flexible hours or part-time

More advice: You can get advice on reasonable adjustments from the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre Plus office via the Access to Work scheme.

Access to Work

Overview: An Access to Work grant helps pay for practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition so you can:

• start working
• stay in work
• start your own business

How much you get depends on your circumstances. The money doesn’t have to be paid back and will not affect your other benefits. Access to Work is only available in England, Scotland and Wales.

What you'll get: There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant. How much you get depends on your circumstances. The money can pay for things like:

• adaptations to the equipment you use
• special equipment
• fares to work if you can’t use public transport
• a support worker or job coach to help you in your workplace
• a support service if you have a mental health condition and you’re absent from work or finding it difficult to work
• disability awareness training for your colleagues
• a communicator at a job interview
• the cost of moving your equipment if you change location or job

Eligibility: Access to Work grants are only available if the employer is based in England, Scotland or Wales.

• You must be 16 or over and either:
• about to start a job or work trial
• in a paid job or self-employed (you can’t get a grant for voluntary work)

You might also qualify if you’re getting New Enterprise Allowance or starting work experience under a Youth Contract.

Your condition: Your disability or health condition must affect your ability to do a job or mean you have to pay work-related costs. For example, special computer equipment or travel costs because you can’t use public transport. Your mental health condition must affect your ability to do a job and means you need support to:

• start a new job
• reduce absence from work
• stay in work

Exceptions

You might not qualify if you get any of these benefits:

• Incapacity Benefit
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Income Support
• National Insurance Credits

Changing jobs: You can transfer your grant to another employer if you change jobs.

How to claim

Follow these steps if you think you can get help from Access to Work.

1. Contact your Access to Work centre - see below to find the right centre.
2. Print the Access to Work eligibility letter and take it to your employer or to a job interview.
3. An adviser will contact you and your employer to find out what help and support is needed.

Find your Access to Work centre: Contact the centre that covers the area where you live. You may need the following information:

• your National Insurance number
• your workplace address, including your postcode
• the name, email address and work phone number of a workplace contact (e.g. your manager)
• your unique tax reference number (if you’re self-employed)
• the name of your New Enterprise Allowance mentor (if you have one)

London (for South East England and East England)
Access to Work - London | atwosu.london@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8426 3110 | Textphone: 020 8426 3133 | Fax: 020 8426 3134 Jobcentre Plus | Access to Work Operational Support Unit | Nine Elms Lane | London
SW95 9BH

Cardiff (for South West England, Wales, West Midlands and East Midlands)
Access to Work - Cardiff | atwosu.cardiff@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 423 291 | Textphone: 0845 602 5850 | Fax: 02920 423 342
Jobcentre Plus | Access to Work Operational Support Unit | Alexandra House | 377 Cowbridge Road East | Cardiff CF5 1WU

Glasgow (for Scotland, North West England, North East England, Yorkshire and Humberside)
Access to Work - Glasgow | atwosu.glasgow@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0141 950 5327 | Textphone: 0845 602 5850 | Fax: 0141 950 5265
Jobcentre Plus | Access to Work Operational Support Unit | Anniesland JCP | Baird Street | Glasgow | G90 8AN

What will my share of the costs be?

When cost sharing applies, Access to Work will refund up to 80% of the approved costs between a threshold and £10,000. As the employer, you will contribute 100% of costs up to the threshold level and 20% of the costs between the threshold and £10,000.

The amount of the threshold is determined by the number of employees you have.

Number of employees      Amount of threshold
0 to 49 employees            nil
50 to 249 employees        £500
Over 250 employees         £1000

Any balance above £10,000 will normally be met by Access to Work.

If the support also provides a general business benefit, a contribution will be sought in addition to any compulsory cost share.

What can we provide you

Following an assessment, Freedom of Speech Ltd can provide you with the solution recommended for you. This can be in the form of:

• software to enable you to dictate text onto a computer or read e-mails and documents back to you
• hardware to enable work more ergonomically on your PC or digital audio recorders to enable you to records your thoughts and letters
• training to teach you how to use this equipment effectively and so minimise the impact that you disability has on you job role

Give us a call or send an e-mail via our contact page for further details.

This article can be downloaded as a PDF document by clicking here

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"Living with Dyslexia"

Dyslexia. It affects approximately 10% of the population. 1 in 10 of us has Dyslexia. But what is Dyslexia? What is it like to live with Dyslexia and how does Dyslexia affect a person’s day to day living?

Dyslexia is derived from a Greek word. ‘Dys’ meaning poor or inadequate and ‘Lexis’ which is the meaning for words or language. It is a spectrum disorder which commonly runs in families, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

Those affected can experience difficulty with spelling, reading and writing.  It can also affect the memory and the ability to retain information. So timetables, the alphabet and remembering peoples name can be a challenge. Even something that would seem straight forward to others such as walking to work in the morning can be difficult.

A brilliant oral response or answer may be giving but it is a struggle to write thoughts down. This can lead to underperformance throughout life. School is something that can be a very stressful experience as Dyslexia can go undetected for some time, with the student becoming frustrated and as a result of this can start to misbehave. Struggling to learn like others this is usually the point where the lack of confidence starts to set in and the desire to be invisible when learning. It is key that the correct tools and help are available in the early years so that a child with Dyslexia can learn and achieve to their best.

Dyslexics can also suffer with Audio Sequential Deficit. This is when a word is spoken but something different is heard.

Dyslexia can be seen as a hindrance to one’s life but it can also be a great gift. There is a growing number of academics who believe there is a positive side to Dyslexia. A dyslexic can master certain skills faster than those without the condition. They think differently and can have specific talents. It is often said that easy tasks are hard and hard tasks are easy.

Now for the science behind Dyslexia. There are certain areas of the left hemisphere in the brain which are very different in those with Dyslexia. The left hemisphere is the language part of the brain. A dyslexic’s brain is not damaged in anyway, it is just simply different.

There are many successful and famous dyslexic people that have walked this world. Leonardo De Vinci, Michael Angelo, Albert Einstein, Tom Cruise, Richard Branson and many more.

Richard Branson had no understanding at school and when he started his first business he was unable to tell the difference between net and gross profit. Even so, he became one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Many dyslexics grow up to be entrepreneurs as they show a lack of fear when risk taking.

There are many myths I wish to settle when it comes to Dyslexia. Dyslexia is not rare, it is not a visual impairment, it is not a hearing impediment, and people with Dyslexia can read! It is simply just a brain created differently...and here at Freedom of Speech we celebrate this and provide our Dyslexic users with the tools and equipment needed for their success.

Some members of our Freedom of Speech team are dyslexic so we understand first hand how you are feeling and can relate to your experiences. The frustration and the determination to succeed is something that we have felt ourselves at one or more points in our lives.

If you would like advice on the products and services we offer to help with your Dyslexic journey, please do get in touch with us.

‘Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts’ – Albert Einstein

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“A picture (or video) can speak a thousand words”

We passionate about proving the best solutions for making your working life easy, more efficient and enabling you to save time and money. We believe that Olympus provide the best hardware and software for recording and managing your dictated speech…so we have linked some great You Tube videos below as we believe that a picture (or video in this case!) can speak a thousand words.

If you currently use an analogue dictation system (such as audio cassettes for the authors and tape machines with foot pedals for the transcriptionists), migrating to a digital system is a no-brainer.  Have a look at this video giving you an overview of how digital dictation works  http://youtu.be/5jpNaMLGbiE - it’s fast, secure and effective!

Olympus produce a variety of excellent digital recorders depending on your environment.

Professional environments

For professional use such as hospitals and legal practices, you’ll really like the Olympus DS-7000 digital recorder. There is a great video about this device here http://youtu.be/IvHGRimKxlo - it comes with a great software application called ODMS r6 (which stands for ‘Olympus Dictation Management software’) that enables you to manage how the recordings you create are downloaded to your PC and saved to a shared folder on your server or e-mailed to transcriptionists to type up.

This video shows you how the software manages your recordings http://youtu.be/_oKTuYCb6pw

Education environments

For students, teachers and other casual digital dictation users who need to record lectures or their own voice for listening to later (or even turning into text using Dragon NaturallySpeaking software!), the Olympus DM-670 digital recorder is a brilliant solution.

Take a look at http://youtu.be/0iqjKwpOIlQ to see this device in action and also http://youtu.be/tVLgW8szhQ8 which shows you the Sonority software that this device is supplied with.

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