MANAGING DYSLEXIA IN THE WORKPLACE: REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS

Transcription

1 MANAGING DYSLEXIA IN THE WORKPLACE: REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS Colin, who works in the administrative section of a large organisation, is a valuable employee. He is a graduate, intelligent, articulate, industrious and motivated to succeed. He has a highly developed ability to visualise and think holistically, which means he can see overviews of complex processes and is an excellent problem-solver. But Colin has difficulty with parts of his job. He has to read large amounts of documentation, but he tends to lose his place, finds dense or small print difficult, and suffers from eyestrain. Although he can read to an advanced level, he finds it difficult to hold the content in his memory and so needs to re-read, sometimes several times. His short-term memory difficulties mean that he can forget how to carry out even familiar tasks, such as the monthly financial spreadsheets. He also has trouble with concentration and organisation. He tends to confuse times, forget appointments and lose track of time. Interruptions at work mean he has to start tasks over again. This pattern of difficulties and strengths indicates that Colin could be affected by dyslexia. He has constructed an intricate system of mechanisms to compensate for his difficulties. For example, he knows he must take time to focus on tasks, have no interruptions, devise and use crib sheets even for familiar tasks, work methodically and check his work for errors. However, Colin suffers a great deal of frustration, stress and loss of confidence because of his dyslexia, and knows that many tasks need much more time and effort from him than from other people. He has a poor relationship with his line manager, who is very unsympathetic and often criticises him. At the time of his assessment for dyslexia, he had recently had a month s leave from work for a stress-related illness. So what is dyslexia? Expert Dr Sylvia Moody says: Dyslexia is often regarded simply as a difficulty with reading and writing, but in fact literacy difficulties are no more than surface

2 symptoms of weaknesses in short-term memory, information processing, perceptual, spatial and motor skills. The literacy (and numeracy) difficulties associated with these may be severe and obvious, or they may be more subtle, manifesting themselves in general slowness rather than inaccuracy in tasks involving written English. Other signs include difficulties in managing, organising and recalling information, and personal organisation and timekeeping. These difficulties are made worse when dyslexic employees are put under pressure. 1 Embarrassment, frustration, anxiety, depression, low confidence and low selfesteem are often seen as a result of a history of lack of understanding, humiliation and struggle in education and employment. It is thought that up to 2.9 million employees in the UK may be affected by dyslexia 2. It is important to remember that it is often part of the pattern of dyslexia to have significant strengths 3, such as: creativity thinking laterally and being able to make unexpected connections being able to see the big picture good visual-spatial skills and being able to think easily in 3D problem-solving skills good verbal skills unusual determination and hard work The achievements of famous people with dyslexia, such as businessman Richard Branson, comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, or architect Richard Rogers, show that people with dyslexia can achieve to the highest levels by exploiting their strengths. In the workplace, particular situations, such as a new job, promotion, training or organisational restructuring, mean that previous coping strategies might become inadequate or inappropriate. This can sometimes be the point at which staff reveal difficulties or ask for an assessment. Sharon was recently promoted to the post of team manager in a small technical services company. In her previous role, she was able to make good use of her strengths: extensive understanding of IT systems, practical skills, problemsolving, being articulate and forming good relationships with clients. Her new

3 post means that she now has to make presentations to clients and other staff, write reports and prioritise tasks for herself and her staff. Sharon has been able to use her excellent IT skills to help with writing and organisational tasks, e.g. she has created templates for all the standard reports she has to write, and uses the system to keep track of appointments and tasks to be carried out. She and her line manager agree that she is doing a good job, and she enjoys having the extra responsibility. She is highly motivated to succeed. Her difficulties, typical in dyslexia, in the new post include: In presentations, although she knows what she wants to say, she sometimes cannot remember words she needs and stumbles when pronouncing long words. She is very anxious about writing on flipcharts, as she fears making spelling mistakes. She finds it hard to express her thoughts in writing, even in a simple , and is uncertain that her spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct. She cannot take adequate notes for herself in meetings. She is easily distracted by noise and movement. Sharon s Human Resources manager suggested that she might be dyslexic, something Sharon herself had also suspected for some time, and an initial screening, followed by a full assessment, confirmed that Sharon was affected by dyslexia. The assessment is an essential first step in the process of supporting individual staff with dyslexia, because: It confirms the presence of dyslexia It describes the individual pattern of strengths and difficulties It enables the individual to recognise the reasons for difficulties and begin to come to terms with them It makes recommendations for further action, training and support

4 Disability Discrimination Act (1995) Dyslexia has been recognised as a disability under the DDA 4, and so staff with dyslexia may be entitled to reasonable adjustments to prevent any substantial disadvantage to them in relation to non-disabled employees. There are a number of factors which affect how reasonable an individual adjustment is 5. It is worth remembering that adjustments need not be complicated or expensive, and can often benefit other staff, e.g. having a well-organised, uncluttered office; giving clear, explicit instructions; having regular breaks or changes in task; using plain English; having a quiet place to work when needed. Dyslexia and the organisation The more dyslexia-friendly an organisation is, the fewer individual adjustments are likely to be needed. It is important to note that organisations have responsibilities under the Act to create a culture of acceptance of difference, to be proactive in addressing disability, and to give staff ample opportunities to reveal a disability. Organisational culture is a major determinant of the success of individual adjustments and of individual staff achieving their potential. The first step is the gaining of awareness of dyslexia issues by all staff, including senior managers, who are crucial to the success of establishing an accepting, enabling culture. Targeted, professional training can develop this, and can also play an important role in staff having access to information, in identifying relevant workplace issues, and in developing effective communication methods. So what might be reasonable adjustments for Sharon and Colin? Adjustments should be decided on an individual basis, to match the workplace requirements with the individual s pattern of strengths and weaknesses. Often, most of the cost of adjustments can be funded through the government s Access to Work scheme 6. It is also crucial that there are organisational changes. After Colin was assessed as dyslexic, some other staff members disclosed their dyslexia or suspected dyslexia. The organisation consulted with a workplace expert, arranged screening and assessment for these staff, and training sessions for senior and other managers, as well as training and HR staff. Information about dyslexia was incorporated into induction programmes; new staff were invited to confidentially reveal difficulties so that support could be put in place. The organisation implemented a programme of review of documentation, including some produced for the public, using plain English and improved layout.

5 The following adjustments were made by and for Colin: For reading paper-based materials, following a specialist visual assessment, he used a coloured plastic overlay, which reduced eyestrain and improved his speed and comprehension. With the guidance of a workplace specialist, he began to use a card as a marker on the page, and to highlight and make simple visual notes to aid his memory. He learned how to select and prioritise reading matter for himself, and also asked his manager to indicate priorities. When necessary, he printed reading material on coloured paper and enlarged the font size. For reading materials on his PC, he reduced the brightness and contrast on his screen, set the background to a similar colour as that of his overlay, enlarged the font size and set the font style to a dyslexia-friendly one 7. He received a scanner with text-to-speech software, so he could listen to material while he read along on his computer. His manager and colleagues, after understanding his need for quiet and concentration during some tasks, dedicated a small do not disturb room, which has become much used by other staff members when they have complex tasks to carry out. The department has introduced wall planners and to-do lists on whiteboards. At the start of each day, everybody spends 10 minutes on organising, prioritising and reminding of essential tasks and appointments. As a result, the whole department is working more efficiently. Colin s organisation arranged some counselling sessions for him, where he was able to come to terms with issues relating to his dyslexia. Sharon s small firm arranged a dyslexia training session for all staff, including the director. They decided to make similar changes to those made by Colin s organisation, and in addition, Sharon had these adjustments: In presentations, another member of staff acted as a scribe where possible. Sharon had some sessions with a dyslexia workplace specialist, and learned to develop scripts for presentations, a routine for rehearsing, and simple relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety. She also learned to improve her spelling and grammar in these sessions. She received planning and voice recognition software for her PC, which allow her to use her good holistic and verbal skills for writing tasks. She uses a dictaphone to record important points in meetings. A quiet corner with a window was screened off as Sharon s work station.

6 The right support can release individuals potential, result in the talents of a valued staff member contributing to the success of the organisation and increase overall efficiency. People with dyslexia can achieve their goals - they just need to work in the way that is right for them. An accepting, non-judgemental culture fosters loyalty and creativity in all staff. In the end, the whole organisation benefits. Some general guidelines: working with staff with dyslexia Discuss individual staff members difficulties and needs with them they may know what causes difficulties and have ideas about how they can be overcome. Focus on the goal to be achieved, not the method of doing it. Treat individuals with confidentiality and sensitivity. Give time and avoid pressure as far as possible. Give overviews and ensure individuals understand how and why tasks need to be done. Write and speak in plain English. Always give clear, explicit instructions. Make instructions and procedures, especially long or complex information, available in spoken and written forms (e.g. speech followed by a confirming ). Focus on forward planning. Give plenty of advance notice of tasks. Take 10 minutes at the start of each day to organise and prioritise tasks. Make available a quiet place to work, with natural daylight, as far as possible. Allow regular breaks, especially from the PC screen e.g. a change of task. Allow people to do one thing at a time; avoid multi-tasking and interruptions. Minimise distraction from noise or movement.

7 Useful sources of information Diana Bartlett and Sylvia Moody (2003) Dyslexia in the Workplace, Whurr British Dyslexia Association (2005) An Employer s Guide to Dyslexia, BDA, (includes written material style guide) Dept for Education and Skills (2004) A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia, (aimed at training staff, but a clear outline for the non-specialist) Employers Forum on Disability, A practical guide to employment adjustments for dyslexic people, briefing paper 6, see Gary Fitzgibbon and Brian O Connor (2002) Adult Dyslexia: a Guide for the Workplace, John Wiley & Sons Marysia Krupska and Cynthia Klein (1995) Demystifying Dyslexia, London Language and Literacy Unit Ellen Morgan and Cynthia Klein (2000) The Dyslexic Adult in a Non-dyslexic World, Whurr Useful websites Workplace advice and services Adult Dyslexia Consultancy Useful workplace strategies Technological aids References 1. Sylvia Moody (2005) Dyslexia in the Workplace, information sheet 2. Brian Hagan (2004) Dyslexia in the Workplace: a guide for unions, TUC 3. Ellen Morgan and Cynthia Klein (2000) The Dyslexic Adult in a Non-dyslexic World, ch See Brian Hagan, ibid., section 4, for a discussion of dyslexia and the DDA definition of disability. 5. See

8 6. See HelpForDisabledPeople/AccesstoWork 7. See for guidance on font style.