Bolton dyslexic jobseekers speak out about barriers they face

Luke Dawson, 31, of Westhoughton, has dyslexia, or difficulties reading and spelling, and dyspraxia, which affects movement and coordination.

For eight years, Luke worked as a janitor and post assistant and he flourished.

Dyspraxia makes fine motor skills difficult and means his handwriting is hard to read, but he received support at his job.

His mum Debbie Dawson, 54, said: “He had to order supplies and initially wrote them out by hand.

“When his managers saw they couldn't read his writing, they set him up with a computer.

“There wasn't a problem after that.”

But he was made redundant in February and the job search has been challenging.

An “invisible disability” like dyspraxia has meant things job seekers often encounter, like long paper forms, have been challenging.

Luke Dawson (Image: Public)

In his previous job, Luke proved a capable, hard worker.

He said: “I was never late in all that time and was a good team player.

“When people doing the post were on holiday, I’d sometimes come in ill to cover for them.

“I didn’t like letting people down.”

But the job search has made him doubt his abilities.

Luke said: “I feel like every time I try to look for work, I get passed over because they think, ‘this person’s got learning difficulties, we don’t want them working for us'.

“It used to get me down. Now, it just makes me angry.

“I felt self-conscious, and I just don't want to feel like that anymore.”

And typing on a computer with extra time to read the text makes a world of difference.

He said: “If I’m asked to fill out a questionnaire, I know I'm going to mess them up because it won’t be legible.

“When I’ve done work on computers, it’s gone well.

“People could read my typed answers.

“I think companies giving people with dyspraxia papers to fill in don’t understand the difficulties we face with writing.

“They should give us the option to use a computer, because then we can type the questions clearly and not panic.”

The Equality Act 2010 protects people with learning disabilities in the workplace and can offer them reasonable adjustments, like the use of a computer.

But only if they reveal it to employers themselves, which can open them up to stigma.

Luke said: “In interviews, when asked about my strengths and weaknesses, I mention I have learning disabilities.

“But I say I see it as a different ability."

And people with neurodevelopmental differences like Luke may have strengths others may not have, like creative problem-solving.

He said: “When my mum moved to Westhoughton, she’d bought a new bed she couldn’t get it up the stairs.

“I figured out that we should cut the headboard in half and put it back together. It worked.”

Jake Sigley (Image: Public)

Jake Sigley, 26, of Westhoughton, also has dyslexia and has faced similar barriers.

He said: “I’ve worked at a pizza factory for four years.

“But before that, I’d looked for retail jobs.

“Sometimes, I was interviewed in a group of 10.

“The jobs were not far above minimum wage, but there were maths and English literacy tests, which are unfair if someone is dyslexic.

“What winds me up is that I’d worked in retail for six years prior, I had the experience.”

Online applications are still a big part of the job search.

Jake said: “Every job application seems to have long online forms.

“It’s hard work if you’re dyslexic. I might spell the answers incorrectly.

“Employers can look at that at that and think, ‘they can't spell basic words, we won't give them an interview'.

“Sometimes, I had to get my dad to help me.

“It’s very frustrating.

“It would have been better just to attach my CV.”

Ten per cent of the UK population are dyslexic and five per cent have specific learning difficulties like dyspraxia.

British Dyslexia Association’s chief development officer, Gillian Ashley, has said: “Workplaces need to adapt their working practices, to make reasonable adjustments which help overcome some of the challenges associated with thinking differently.”

A spokesperson from British Dyslexia Association said: “Organisations looking to attract the best dyslexic talent need to adapt their existing recruitment processes. They will need to make adjustments including:

• Allowing candidates the option to make a verbal application
• Providing extra time to answer interview questions
• Implementing an alternative selection process to the AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by many organisations to shortlist candidates which can discriminate against neurodiverse individuals.”