How the Workplace Can Adjust for Individuals with Dyslexia

We are on day four of Dyslexia Awareness Week in conjunction with the British Dyslexic Association (BDA)!There have been some really inspiring stories, such as teenager Jack Harley-Walsh who, after being faced many obstacles with his dyslexia, has started his dream course at university. It’s great to see so many uplifting experiences being shared, as these stories are a reminder that with the right support and equipment, individuals with the condition can adapt well to the classroom and the workplace.Helping Each Person AdjustSince the 2010 equality act, it’s the law to ensure that employees with dyslexia are not discriminated against and that workplaces are able to provide reasonable changes to ensure they offer a dyslexic-friendly environment. It’s important to note that when making changes in the workplace that each individual is assessed so their severity levels can be determined.There are many solutions that can benefit employees with dyslexia in the workplace such as:

• Installing a dyslexic friendly font onto the individual’s computer, as it enhances readability
• Providing digital recording devices that can help with the individual’s note-taking skills, such as Sonoscent Audio Notetaker
• Mind mapping software, which offers the individual a framework for thinking, fleshing out ideas and constructing presentations
• Text to speech software that allows web pages, word documents and PDFs be read aloud to the employee
• Ensuring that any documentation for meetings is given to the individual beforehand, so they can have time to process and prepare
• Visual stress software, such as ClaroView, which amongst many things allows the user to change the screen colour and offers a screen ruler for tracking

If you have dyslexia, it can also help if you discuss it with your work colleagues (if you want to, of course), as some people may not fully understand the condition. By doing this, it helps your colleagues with how they can support you so you can master every task.Even better, iansyst run dyslexia awareness sessions for the workplace, which will place your colleagues into the shoes of someone who has the condition and really get to understand the everyday challenges of dyslexia.At iansyst, we are continually offering new software and solutions that can help with dyslexia, whether in the workplace or classroom. We provide assistive technology that can offer reading, writing and spelling support, plus a range of hardware such as scanning pens, digital recorders and headsets that can increase productivity.If you have any questions about our assistive technology or training sessions, please ring on 01223 420 101.