A lot of companies nowadays are opening their doors to people with disabilities, including those with dyslexia. If you have a coworker or colleague with this condition, it should not be the case that you belittle him or her because of his or her condition.
Additionally, it is a good thing that the law has given this issue some attention, since dyslexia is an official disability that can be governed by the Disability Discrimination Act, 1995.
As an employer or a colleague of a person with this condition, there are some things that you can do to help him or her out. Accordingly, there are some things that you shouldn’t do.
Support
Support is something that most people with disabilities need. This is because most of the time they are treated as invalids, which shouldn’t be the way you treat a person with a disability. This principle applies exactly the same with individuals with dyslexia.
Support doesn’t mean you should do everything for them, nor leaving them alone so that they can do their thing. The kind of support you should give is support for them to become an independent individual even with the condition at hand.
What dyslexic people need are other people who can understand their condition and what they are going through. A little encouragement from you can do wonders. Knowing that someone believes in them and that they can do it is enough for a dyslexic to carry on his fight against his condition.
However, you should only give encouragement when it is appropriate. Overdoing this can make your colleague feel that he is being treated like a baby. This can only bring about frustration to them, so avoid it at any cost.
Problem Matters
One thing that you should avoid doing when you’re working with a dyslexic is regarding them as a ‘problem’. They are people too, thus you should treat them as one. A colleague with dyslexia is not an extra baggage to the team. Remember, all of you are employed in the same company. Thus, this means all of you have functions, even if your colleague with dyslexia may seem to have a different kind.
Strengths And Will
As an employer or a superior, you should learn to concentrate on their strengths. Try to see the positive side of the situation. Try your best not to be discouraged about your employee’s weaknesses and difficulties.
Another thing, you shouldn’t force them to do things that are against their will. They know their limitations, and there are times that when they say they can’t do it, then it really means they can’t.
Pushing them too hard would do no good. It is better to scaffold your way into training your employee with dyslexia to do more complicated tasks.
Tailoring
Doing a little tailoring would benefit you and your employee. Try to see your employee or subordinate’s strengths and pinpoint his talents. After doing this, try to find a position or a task in which you think those strengths and talents can be utilized efficiently.
If you do it this way, then it is a win-win situation both for you and your employee. This is because you get to have work done since your employee is productive, even if a disability is present.