Personal Stories

Arran Smith

Dyslexia to me is now a gift; but it is also a hindrance. I found out I was dyslexic when I was about eight years old. Around the same time the dentist said to me let’s take some teeth out. Being an eight year old I was quite excited, but would you like having your teeth taken out? This is how dyslexia felt for me over the next eight years.

Mom and Dad were very supportive, if it wasn't for them I wouldn’t be where I am today. Mom took me to the Leicestershire Dyslexia Association where I had lessons in English and on computers. This built up my confidence because I could meet other dyslexic people and know that I wasn't alone. The years went on and I got more involved in the Association and I started working in the computer room. Then I started helping in our work shop and also helped in the teaching of Study Skills and organising events. The Committee then made me Vice-Chairman of the Association. The Chairman encouraged me to attend BDA meetings where I learned that there is a bigger world of dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a big part of my life. I still have my problem but I get around it by simply asking questions to people, how to spell this out, how do you spell that. The difficult part is having to get all my good ideas out my brain on to paper, which is the most frustrating part of my dyslexia. But I am passionate about the cause; we need to know more about dyslexia in this world. I became a trustee of the BDA and am now at the forefront of dyslexia where I can support others, widen the awareness about dyslexia, and improve the understanding and attitude of society.

Peter Hall

I was fortunate to have my dyslexia spotted when I was eight years old thus receiving the help that I needed from an early age. Throughout my education I suffered by not doing well in exams and tests, whether that was because of my dyslexia I don’t really know.

However, a breakthough came at university when I was studying for my Product Design degree. In my first year I tried to work in the same fashion as the other students but with little success. Then one day, a third year student gave me some advice. He simply said to me that if I wanted my work to improve, stand out and be noticed, then I had to do it in my own way from the initial idea to the final presentation. Taking this basic concept not only did I feel more confident in what I was designing but I also produced better work.

After university I tried different jobs and careers and eventually tried photography, for which I had always had a passion and interest.

I managed to build up a bit of a portfolio in the classic car world and in doing so slowly taught myself the art of car photography. I got a few lucky breaks with some truly amazing cars but after a while I wanted to turn what I had learnt with classic cars to motor racing, with the view of putting my own artistic slant on it.

I have built a portfolio of racing photography, cars from the Le Mans series, FIA GT, Formula 1 and Goodwood classic racers. This has enabled me to hold my own exhibition of photography on Ferraris and write a couple of car photography coffee table books.

It has taken time and a lot of effort and I still have a lot of goals that I want to reach within photography. I want to continue exploring new ideas and avenues of work but I have learnt to accept that I have certain weaknesses, namely spelling, writing and especially anything to do with numbers. I have, therefore, focussed on my strengths of creativity and the ability to think ‘outside of the box’. Moreover, I have learnt never to accept ‘that things can’t be done’ and that there is always another way of approaching things.

Ki McRoberts

I was diagnosed with severe dyslexia at eight years old. My primary school up until that point refused to believe I had dyslexia, and I received very little support from them. While at school I also experienced bullying for many years due to not being able to read or write, which affected me greatly.

I left primary school not able to even spell my own name properly, and with very little self-confidence.

Once in secondary school things did improve. I was able to get a specialist tutor to teach me how to read and write, but after three years the extra support stopped. The knock on effect of this led me to truant from school, and only passing one GCSE in art.

I did however stay on an extra year at school, and then went onto Art College, and later Brighton Art School. During my time in Higher Education I found writing essays very difficult. There was no real help for people with dyslexia at the time, and due to being heavily criticised by a tutor at Brighton Art School for my problems with dyslexia, I decided to leave the education system all together.

The only real downside for me not having many qualifications has been facing the grim task of low paid work and, at times, unemployment. It can be really hard, and I think people experiencing problems with dyslexia who are unemployed must find it difficult, as there doesn’t seem to be much support for them.

Fortunately, my interest in art, photography and music helped me a lot, and has led me to become a singer/songwriter. Also my experiences with dyslexia inspired me to set up Resolution Daes, which is a music based project to help raise further awareness and support for people with dyslexia. I am currently organising my projects’ first UK tour, which I will also be headlining.

I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that no matter what you’re labelled with or how tough life can be, as long as you truly believe in yourself you can turn your dreams into a reality.