October is Dyslexia Awareness month and St Agnes’ Catholic Parish is proudly supporting ‘Go Red for Dyslexia’ day this Friday 15 October by encouraging its staff to wear red to work on the day and to learn more about how dyslexia affects those who have it.

Dyslexia, most commonly diagnosed in school-aged children, is described as a persistent challenge with acquiring and using written language and is often found to be hereditary. Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and Leonardo da Vinci are some of the many famous people diagnosed with dyslexia. Others include Jamie Oliver, Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg.

Tanya Slavin, coordinator of the St Agnes’ Catholic Parish staff campaign, says dyslexia is more common than many realise with an estimated 20% of the Australian population  diagnosed with the condition being affected to varying degrees with their ability to process written language as they read, write and spell each day.

“If you asked a person with dyslexia about their school experience they will tell you about their gut-wrenching fear of receiving back their schoolwork covered in red crosses and comments – that’s why the colour red was chosen for Dyslexia Awareness Month – to take back the power of that colour and to raise awareness,” says Tanya.

“Throughout the month of October selected St Agnes’ Parish Staff advocates will keep the focus on the cause through awareness activities in meetings, there will be articles shared in our E-News and photos and videos streamed on Parish Facebook pages.”

“The main aim of the campaign for us is to encourage people to start conversations, share stories and celebrate the unique skills of those living with dyslexia in our community.”

“We also enlisted the help of Mackillop College student, Georgia Ryan, who became a Dyslexia Mid North Coast Youth Ambassador in 2019 after attending Luminosity in 2018 where she saw one of her heroes, dyslexic sailor, Jessica Watson. Georgia recorded a message about dyslexia to launch the campaign with staff.”

Since becoming an ambassador Georgia’s advocacy has petitioned the Federal and State governments to improve teacher training in specific learning difficulties. She has also been recognised in NSW Parliament for her contribution. Called a ‘trailblazer’ and a ‘Dyslexia warrior’ in the media, Georgia is a remarkable young woman, who is removing the stigma associated with dyslexia and creating positive change for all children affected by the condition.

Visit the Dyslexia Mid North Coast website to learn more about information about dyslexia and the #GoRed campaign (https://dyslexiamnc.org.au/page/news).