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Petition update, 14 August 2008

More details from petition creator

Dyslexia is currently classed as a disability by law. This is intensely damaging to the self-esteem of dyslexics.

In fact, dyslexics are strong visual-spatial thinkers and often have heightened intuition. While some find the world of work difficult, many excel in areas such as architecture, engineering, design, entrepreneurism and other fields requiring visual, intuitive and/or lateral thinking.

There is also mounting evidence that dyslexics can succeed at all academic tasks when instruction is appropriate to the dyslexic thinking style. As a society, our focus needs to be on catering adequately for all thinking styles, not writing some of them off as disabilities.

We urge the Government to submit new laws to Parliament to reframe dyslexia as a thinking style, not a disability. Care must be taken to ensure that the rights and protections currently afforded to dyslexics under the Disability Discrimination Act are transferred to a new Equality of Thinking Style law.

The dyslexic way of thinking deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Note: the term "dyslexics" instead of "people with dyslexia" is used here intentionally. Dyslexia is not an affliction.

Current signatories

Richard Whitehead, the Petition Creator, joined by:

• Wayne Trim
• Richard Tingle
• Fionna Pilgrim
• john martin
• Jonathan Smith
• Sara Kramer
• Robert Ryder
• Lin Procter
• Lena Rose Curtis
• Liz Probert
• K Stanley
• Sarah Jayne Davies
• Sarah Hawksworth
• Simon Juffs
• Gemma Hall
• Matthew Clarke (Proud Dyslexic)
• L McHugh
• Joy Baker
• Sonya Bradbury
• wendy moss
• jill silvester
• Karla Daysley
• justine cripps
• Caroline Buchanan
• Beverley Scott-Stringer
• Leslie Coupland
• Jayne Summers
• julie blacklock
• Lynne Barrie
• helen smith
• Natalja Heaton
• lee carbone
• yolanda ward
• TOM CATHER
• janine cull
• clare gilby
• Mary Jackson
• michelle sims
• pamela Webb
• Muhammad
• Andrew Fairhurst
• Pat Macaskill
• Patricia Eyers
• jennifer hollinshead
• Thomas O'Toole
• les lavercombe
• Tanya
• Lisa Hanley
• Paula Heakin
• Alice Foster
• pamela jackson
• Vlachou Charikleia
• E C R Stephens
• alison fagan-bird
• haydn john latham
• d calvert
• ian loseby
• paul hayes
• linda bruce
• Sylvia Nolan
• Shirley Norman
• Jennifer Delrieu
• Kate Ceney
• Tracy Elizabeth Boulton
• Achsa Griffiths
• Sarah Dixon
• Peter Clementson
• Elizabeth Shepherd
• Nicky@bennett-baggs.com
• Georgina Dunlop
• Sharon Wright
• Jo Budd
• Sara Budd
• Peter Shepherd
• michelle ford
• Cathy Koetsier
• Dawn Rich
• Gemma Hopkins
• Diana Warwick
• Jean-Jacques Sillito
• angela cully
• Santosh Kumari
• Josianne land
• Jane May
• Diane Blausten
• Philip R. P. Whitehead
• Natalie Wilkinson
• kathleen Delaney
• R N Garnish
• Tony Slack
• Johanne Brown
• Gillian Wright
• imogen scott
• Helen Ballantyne
• claire thompson
• Julianne Baker
• Eira Ballingall
• Alison Reynolds
• Anna Stephens
• Tabitha Claydon
• Stephen Bloor
• david mason
• Shayne Walsh
• Jayne Murphy
• honourdyslexia
• Anthony Caudwell
• Cathie Leather
• Heather Lambert
• joanne cooper
• Zoe James
• PAULINE HAWORTH
• purple susan wimbush
• Katherine Howey
• warren jenkins
• Gill Kilner
• TIM WOOD
• Rosslynn Clusker
• alison michie
• Leza Stephenson
• catherine baker
• Mary Moore
• Caroline Keen
• Yolande Philpott
• Karen Pearce
• Fiona Pizzey
• Hunter Bowie Hamilton
• john kitching
• pat greaves
• Ian C. Rennie
• john allen
• Susanne Froud
• David W. Cook
• Maureen Johnstone
• charlotte rayner
• Graham Lister
• jan boyd
• Sheila Preston
• yvonne
• Jude Boardman
• Elaine Emmerson
• Wayne Kirby
• Colleen Ring
• Sarah Nutting
• david boardman
• Tiffany Anne Bisby O'Rorke
• Shirley Geraghty
• David Makepeace
• Debbie Farnfield
• Pauline Best
• Wendy Grafton
• Julia Georgiou
• Mick Clarke
• Jenny Woodruff
• Bhavna Harkison
• dyslexia is just an excuse, why can't you just accept you're not so good at some things?
• Julie McCracken
• C Brown
• George Balogun
• Angela Harris
• Forbes Graham
• Catherine Douglas
• Mick Bean
• Simon Bettridge
• KATE PRITCHARD
• HANA PRITCHARD
• Tim Roberts
• Kat
• alan lowne
• michaela oaten-beggs
• Michael Fleetham
• Brenda Bayne
• Lynne Williams
• Patricia Nielsen
• Andrew Pearce
• Pam Duncan
• Alastair Harvie
• Suzanne Smith
• lisa child
• (Lilian) Catherine Black
• Lucy Fisher
• Jessica Pickles
• Evelyn Mullineux
• Pearl Wolstenholme
• Rebekah
• Gavin Thorne
• Frank Booth
• Heather Banyard
• Alicia
• Amanda Riddle
• Rosy Robinson
• Daniel Milne
• carolyn harper
• eileen baron
• Sarah Lucas
• jan greer
• Margaret Stanway
• Isabel Martin
• Patricia Niland
• Olu Ekata
• Jacqui Simmonds
• Janice Scholes
• Chris Pilgrim
• Sue Hall
• Gillian Greenshields
• Karen Hautz
• Rebecca Ross
• Maureen Florido
• jason davey
• Sarah Thomas
• beverley mcguinness
• Cynthia Thomas
• sherilee robinson
• elizabeth welch
• Christopher Lowe
• Susan Young
• Michael Cairney
• Robert Allan Jones
• graham wallis
• John Roberts
• Rosann Ferrier CertHum(open)
• Liz Evans
• Cynthia Cleverdon
• Raymond Threadgould
• chris and tim young
• Andrew Main