According to Dara, parents can help their children with dyslexia by talking to their teachers about their strengths and needs.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Founder of News Central TV, Anthony Dara, has identified some of the strengths of people with dyslexia as creativity, entrepreneurship, problem-solving skills, resilience and strong visual thinking skills.
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words.
Delivering a keynote address at the 3rd Africa Dyslexia Dialogue held virtually on November 8, 2023, Mr Dara said that Africans, being very religious people, often misunderstand individuals with dyslexia and associate the difficulties they face with demonic works.
The dialogue was themed “Unlocking Dyslexia’s Hidden Talents: Embracing the Power of Strengths.”
“In the midst of all of that, there are very strong skills. I tend to find things a lot easier when I modularise them, put them into categories and take them one after the other in a logical sense. Because of that, more often than not, I’m quite detailed when it comes to doing things with my hands,” he said, using himself as an example of someone with dyslexia.
Dara explained that he set up a television channel based in Lagos by putting together his creativity, entrepreneurship and problem-solving skills.
“40 per cent of individuals who are innovators are dyslexic,” he said, “we tend to dovetail into people who are obsessed with order because once order is not established we get distracted. That is the kind of person I am as well.”
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The broadcaster noted that educators, parents and employers need to be sensitised about dyslexia. “Why can’t we provide a template for employers? If I had to go for an interview to do the things I’ve done I would have been rejected due to the fact that I would be quite incoherent on certain tasks during the interview. How do we tell employers to identify these things,” he asked.
According to Dara, parents can help their children with dyslexia by talking to their teachers about their strengths and needs, helping the child develop a working study routine, encouraging the child to participate in activities they enjoy, and celebrating their accomplishments. He said employers can help people with dyslexia by providing flexible work arrangements, offering training on dyslexia awareness, providing assistive technology and creating a supportive work environment.
Dara mentioned some public figures who are dyslexic including media personality, Ik Osakioduwa, and Big Brother Naija star, Cross.
The media entrepreneur called for the identification of a person with dyslexia through medical examination instead of waiting to see signs.
He commended Dyslexia Nigeria for making a difference in the lives of dyslexic people by providing support, raising awareness and advocating for their rights.
The dialogue also involved panel discussions aimed at drawing perspectives on the strengths of dyslexic people. Among the panellists was the founder of Dyslexia Ghana, Joy Thomas; diplomat, Lovette Singleton; founder of Decoding Dyslexia, Melanie Brethour; founder of The Garage, Chris Arnold; and CEO of Awabah, Tunji Andrews among others.