Texthelp Talks

Our host, Donna Thomson, is joined by Adam Spencer, Content Creator at Classic Marble. Adam has Dyslexia, and today we’ll be exploring dyslexia beyond reading and writing challenges.

Don't forget to listen out for Donna's one thing to know, one thing to do, and one thing to think about at the end of the episode.

As many as 15% of people globally are dyslexic. Dyslexic individuals will thrive in environments that support different ways of thinking and doing. In this podcast episode, we’ll be taking a look at how inclusive technology can support Dyslexic individuals from university right through to the workplace. Joining us is Crystal Rose, a Public Sector employee with Dyslexia.

A panel discussion featuring EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Alumni

Anyone who has dyslexia is typically very good at problem-solving and focusing on the wider picture – so it’s no wonder they make great business leaders.

10 percent or 450,000 Irish people are said to have Dyslexia. Young people with Dyslexia are often given international examples of people like Richard Branson or Jamie Oliver who are successful business people with Dyslexia. However, there are plenty of examples of Dyslexic Irish business people who have started their own start-ups or small businesses. In a recent survey, 230 EOY alumni surveyed, 75% identified a connection in some way with dyslexia. 

We took the opportunity to sit down around a (virtual) table with some of EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Alumni to chat about what makes people with dyslexia so inclined to go into business for themselves, and how their dyslexia and different thinking paves the way to success. 

With Richard Branson and Made By Dyslexia collaborating with LinkedIn to recognise “Dyslexic Thinking” as a valuable skill, the initiative is a breakthrough in acknowledging the positives of being dyslexic in the workplace. We all have a role to play in breaking down the stigma attached to dyslexia and other neurodiverse traits in the workplace and this recognition is a great start. 

We've dedicated an entire season to raising awareness about dyslexia in the classroom, the workplace and beyond, in light of Dyslexia Awareness Month. Throughout season 1 you'll hear from our presenter, Donna Thomson, from Texthelp. 

In this episode, Donna introduces an insightful conversation between her colleague, Chelsie Spencer and Sierra Goodfellow, a learner who was diagnosed with dyslexia in the first grade. Throughout her life and education, Sierra has faced many barriers to learning. After years of self-advocating, she finally recieved the right accomodations for her and went on to find success and a love for writing. Something she never thought was possible in the early days of her dyslexia journey.

This is Sierra's story...

In this episode we hear from Texthelpers Donna Thomson and Greg O'Connor. Donna introduces the discussion before passing over to Greg who is our host for the day. Greg was joined by Aussie educators Jacinta Keenan and Brett Salakas and also by El'ise Bothe, a reality TV star and dyslexia ambassador.  Finally, Donna closes out the session and gives us 1 thing to know, 1 thing to think about and 1 thing to do. 

Research from leading charity, Made by Dyslexia and ManPower Group found that by 2025 humans & machines will split work 50:50. The 50% that are ‘human’ skills are also Dyslexic Thinking Skills. This means that if at school and work we’re not all able to succeed, that’s a problem for everyone.

We need to redefine dyslexia for the 21st century by educating workplaces and education systems to understand dyslexia as a strength. In this podcast episode, we’ll be learning from lived experiences. Joining us is Lynsey Redpath, a fellow Texthelper with Dyslexia who is breaking down stigma and shouting about the power of her Dyslexic thinking.

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Show notes:

Download a copy of Lord Holmes' report into the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

During this episode, you’ll be hearing from Jason Carroll, Chief Product Officer at Texthelp who is joined by the authors of Inclusive learning 365 again. This time, we’ll be finding out what the guests have been getting up to since their last time on Texthelp Talks a few weeks ago, as well as getting all the details from their roadtrip to ISTE and the conference itself.

Getting funds to invest in technology is really only the first hurdle for schools and local authorities. Driving adoption of these tools also presents challenges. That's because there are a lot of stakeholders and voices within education. To be able to select the right tools and drive usage there needs to be engagement with the whole school community.

In this episode, we hear from different perspectives to help local authorities and schools on their EdTech journey.  Listen as South Lanarkshire Council share their story to rolling out devices and software across their 150 schools. You'll learn from education support officers, right through to parents.

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Don't miss South Lanarkshire's event on 12th September at Duncanrig Secondary School to discover how they are making use of a variety of tools, including Read&Write. Book your spot here.

To innovate and create our own future, we need to think differently. And to unlock the potential of all students, we need to create more inclusive learning experiences. In this episode of Texthelp Talks, we’re joined by Rachel Nowicki to discuss all things accessibility by design.

Rae is the Disability Support Advisor at the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology. She discusses the Institute’s approach to inclusion and how this gives their Neurodiverse students opportunities to succeed with engineering and maths from day one.

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Read Rae’s recent article in AdvanceHE, “A proactive approach to neurodiversity in higher education”.

And to learn more about the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, check out their website and follow them on Instagram. 

Jason Carroll, Chief Product Officer at Texthelp is joined (for the second time) by the authors of Inclusive Learning 365:  Chris Bugaj, Karen Janowski, Mike Marotta and Beth Poss -  who all come from a variety of backgrounds in education.

In this episode, we find out a bit more about the authors, delve into some of the topics they are passionate about and discover what drove them to write their book Inclusive Learning 365. They also share some of their plans for the 2022 ISTE Conference, taking place in New Orleans and how they plan on getting there...

Show Notes: 

Follow the Inclusive 365 authors on their Roadtrip to ISTE

Add your favorite road trip songs to their spotify playlist for the trip

Order your copy of Inclusive 365

Follow the Inclusive 365 Team on Twitter and Instagram