The College has created a toolkit to provide practical support and help to learners with dyslexia.

Described by the Cambridge Independent as

"It's part affirmation, part information and part solution-finder"

it was created because our Learning Styles Researcher, himself proudly dyslexic, was frustrated at the lack of information for adult learners. His passionate argument is that dyslexia is not something to 'cure' but to be celebrated.

The ebook toolkit includes tips varying from 'What to do if you are overwhelmed' to 'How to break down a written task'.

You can hear the author, Julian Berridge, explaining the toolkit on Cambridge105.

 

Podcast Summary

The Cambridge Marketing College has released a "dyslexia toolkit" to provide practical support and help to learners with dyslexia, as well as their tutors and employers. The toolkit is designed as a resource that users can refer to as needed, rather than a comprehensive guide to be read cover-to-cover. It aims to address the different perspective and problem-solving approach that individuals with dyslexia often possess, which can be valuable in certain fields like security and aerospace. The toolkit is being well-received, and the college plans to develop versions specifically for tutors and employers to help foster more inclusive workplaces. The toolkit is available for free download on the college's website.

 

Transcript 

Cambridge 105 Voice-over (00:02):
Glen Jones

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (00:03):

 My name's Glen Jones. Dunno if you've seen this in this week's Cambridge Independent newspaper. Page 20, this initiative by the Cambridge Marketing College, A CMC to provide practical support and help to learners with dyslexia as well as their tutors and employers as well. It's a fascinating article, so I thought I'd get the man behind it on Zoom. Hello, Julian Berridge.

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (00:40):
Hello.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (00:41):
Good to speak to you. So you've created this dyslexia toolkit. What exactly is that?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (00:46):
It's called a toolkit because it's designed for you to dip into it to find the solution to a particular problem. So if you are struggling as a dyslexic student, if you are struggling to say, write a large piece of writing a report or an essay, then you can go to the section on writing a report or an essay for advice.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (01:05):
So it's not something that you've got to read from cover to cover. It's sort of a manual that you can dip into as in when you need help with a particular issue.

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (01:14):
Yes, it's a list of suggestions rather than a series of instructions.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (01:19):
I was fascinated reading about this because I imagine it's really difficult to provide help to someone with dyslexia, for instance, because it would be really easy to be condescending and to assume that people need help that they don't actually need. Do you find that's often the case?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (01:39):
That can be the case. One of the main issues is actually just a complete difference in perspective. As a dyslexic, I see things in one particular way, which is very different to the way of non dyslexics. So there's a lot of just problem with translation you could say.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (01:56):
And it's fascinating that people aren't taking more advantage of this difference. I'm fascinated with people who think differently. I don't think like your average man on the street, I'm pretty sure about that, but I see that as an advantage. Do you see your dyslexia as an advantage in your role?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (02:14):
I certainly do. If I wasn't dyslexia, I wouldn't be able to write this. I certainly wouldn't have had the passion for it or the drive to do so, and there are places which do look positively on it. I believe I actually mentioned in the toolkits, I'm not sure if it's in the article, that GCHQ, the British Security has been actively recruiting dyslexics and half of NASA's employees are dyslexic. Being dyslexic means a increase in 3D visualisation and holistic thinking. So if you are trying to build a rocket and map out how that's going to go into space, being able to visualise things in three dimensions is incredibly helpful. The holistic thinking is what GCHQ is after the ability to see patterns that aren't always as obvious and to connect seemingly random pieces of data.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (03:09):
It's fascinating because I see my creativity as coming from my obsessive compulsive disorder. It makes me think in a different way to everyone else, but I don't see it as a barrier. I see it as an opportunity. How is the toolkit being received at the CMC

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (03:28):
At the moment? It's only recently been released. However, I have to say all the response I have so far received has been incredibly positive, even from people I didn't expect to see it.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (03:39):
How do you see people using this? Do you see it going beyond the walls of CMC at any point?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (03:46):
It already is. It is completely free. We're not charging for it. We are happy for anyone to use it as long as we have our name on it. We are a marketing college. I will confess. I have actually sent a copy to the learning support team at my old school in Ely as a thank you for all their hard years of work.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (04:04):
For any employers that are listening to this at the moment, what would you say to encourage people to take on someone who thinks a bit differently? How can this help people's companies?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (04:15):
When can a brand new perspective ever hurt? Speaking of employers, as is mentioned in the article, I'm currently working on a second toolkit, which is being sent off to be designed so it's not just a rather bland word, documents for tutors, and after that, I will then begin working on one for employers on how to get the most out of their dyslexic employees.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (04:39):
That's fascinating. Do you think that employers can sometimes see obstacles that aren't actually there when it comes to conditions like dyslexia?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (04:48):
I'm not going to say that there aren't obstacles with dyslexia. It does have its downsides. However, there is a certain stigma in many areas to do with it. The word dyslexia itself is actually translates to word blindness, I believe, and a lot of people can only see it as a affliction because that's actually what you're taught to see.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (05:14):
Yeah. It surprises me that in this day and age, there's still this attitude about, but in your experience, it still exists.

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (05:22):
It does. It's not necessarily a conscious thing. You are just taught that if you hear the word dyslexia, you only ever see when you're young, a child needing additional support, additional help. It's hardly mentioned when you're older and you just have that view of, oh, it's that person who needed additional help, so therefore it must be a disability. It must hold them back. It must mean they're stupid. I can clearly state it doesn't. It is scientifically proven that it has no interaction with your intelligence at all. It just inhibits certain ways of expressing your

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (05:58):
Absolutely. So what would your advice be to coworkers then? Let's say maybe I had a colleague who has dyslexia. How would I support them without coming across as condescending and insulting to their intelligence?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (06:12):
Well, every person's dyslexia is incredibly unique to them. The main quote amongst any area I found during my research was, the only thing consistent about dyslexic is their inconsistency.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (06:24):
Yes.

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (06:25):
So I'd suggest talking to them a little about it if they're willing to talk, hearing about it, being a little more open-minded in how you receive things from them. There's a classic thing in the workplace where you will just ask someone to write something up for you or write 'em a report. Now the word write sets alarm mails off in my mind. I dunno about others, but I believe it to be. So making it a little more clearer that it can be, that you can have things in a more diverse range. As the old saying goes, A picture can be worth a thousand words. I don't quite believe it's worth a thousand, but with a bit of context, it can be used for a few hundred and save a lot of work

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (07:04):
The way you've set out this toolkit. I can imagine that just in the bit I've read myself, maybe you aren't particularly keen on writing something up formally, but you might be able to give an absolutely cracking presentation to someone. So maybe suggest that someone comes to you and tells you what they've been working on, rather than write up what you've been working on. I got the right end of a stick there.

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (07:29):
Very much so. In fact, the two main areas that it has been said that dyslexics who do not find a academic use for their gifts or are not unable to do so, go into two main areas. Working with the hands and working with the voices salespeople is especially,

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (07:48):
This is absolutely fascinating. I can imagine this toolkit isn't just going to help people who have dyslexia, but as you say, as the new versions come out, it's going to help workplaces and colleagues become more inclusive. Where can people get the hands on it?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (08:06):
Apparently, it can be downloaded from the college website@marketingcollege.com slash dyslexia. We will post the new toolkits as we get them there. Plus I sort of have to do a skit. We are a marketing college. Please do feel free to check out our courses.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (08:21):
Fantastic. Well, I really appreciate you joining us this afternoon. Before I let you go, how's life treating at the Marketing College? Are they a good team over there?

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (08:31):
It certainly is. I certainly couldn't have done this without them.

Glen Jones, Cambridge 105 (08:33):
Julian Berridge at the Cambridge Marketing College, thank you very much indeed for your time this afternoon.

Julian Berridge, author Dyslexia Toolkit (08:39):
Thank you very much.