Exeter City Council announces free dyslexia screening sessions for adults

Free dyslexia screening will be available to adults next week at Exeter City Council's Customer Service Centre.

The screening sessions are being provided by Exeter-based company, Cinnabar, which specialises in helping adults with dyslexia throughout the South West.

Sessions will be held on 15 and 16 October during Dyslexia Awareness Week (14-20 October) at the Council's Customer Service Centre in Paris Street, Exeter. The sessions are free but by appointment only, so anyone interested needs to book a place by calling 01392 357501.

Cinnabar founder and owner, Kim Algar, said that rather than considering dyslexia to be a flaw or disadvantage, GCHQ (UK Government Communications Headquarters) are actively utilising their dyslexic staff to break the complex codes that pose a threat to our country through cyber-attacks.

She said: "A GCHQ spokesperson in the national press recently helped to dispel the common perception that dyslexia is an indicator of low intelligence. Though GCHQ’s dyslexic employees may struggle to decipher words, they possess an ability to perceive patterns and puzzles in a different (and successful) way. 

She added that Sir Iain Lobban, Director of GCHQ, commented that: "Part of my job is to attract the very best people and harness their talents; and not allow preconceptions and stereotypes to stifle innovation and agility."

Dyslexic individuals possess a wide range of strengths that are of value to most workplaces. "Unfortunately," said Kim, "our ‘word-based’ society tends only to value people who are skilled at processing words and paperwork. However, words are a surprisingly new way for human beings to communicate; many alternative skills were strongly developed during the course of our evolution. Dyslexic people may have a heightened talent in these non-word-based traits."

Kim believes that with the right support, dyslexic people can flourish at work or in education. "An individual’s dyslexia is like a thumbprint - with unique talents and challenges.  A range of personalised support could strengthen any areas of weakness.  This could include screening, assessment, reasonable adjustments and assistive software, to name but a few solutions."