Working perfect while being called imperfect
James Middleton delivered an unexpected stand-out moment in his
sister’s Westminster Abbey wedding last month.
But it has only just been revealed how big a triumph it was.
Middleton, 23, suffers from dyslexia and chose to memorise his
two-minute-40-second-long Bible quote, Romans 12 extract rather than
read it from the Bible and risk jumbling the words.
People with dyslexia, which literally means “trouble with words”,
have difficulties with reading, language and words. When Kate Middleton
married Prince William, more than 2 billion people watched their
wedding. Dyslexics, not less than several millions around the world also
triumphed to hear the only speech delivered in that famous event.
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James Middleton delivers an unexpected
stand-out moment |
Dyslexia is a syndrome of many and varied symptoms affecting over 40
million children and adults. Many with dyslexia and related learning and
attention disorders realize quite early that they are not like their
peers. Their learning and coordination or klutz difficulties often lead
to ridicule and/or self-recrimination leading them to feel dumb and
depressed-isolated.
Dyslexia is one of the vastly suffered language disability. Dyslexics
have serious difficulties in reading their native language. And also it
has often been wrongly defined as a child’s academic inability rather
than a physical disability. Linguistic disorders mostly occur without
any known cause. Either dyslexia or stammering, it is still a physical
impairment and needs a speech therapist’s or a specialist’s attention.
Speech-related disabilities are one of the more obvious disabilities,
especially as they relate to speech-based communication - something
commonly used in both work and social life. At one extreme are people
who cannot speak at all, and must communicate by sign language or by
talking computer.
Yet even where the disability does not significantly impair the
ability to communicate in an understandable way, people with speech
disabilities are often subject to oppression and ridicule in public, and
discrimination in employment. The disability may be an “act of God”, but
the oppression is definitely based in so called ‘physically perfect’
society.
Since dyslexia is often a self-compensating disorder that can often
be overcome with time, effort and understanding, it is crucial to
provide dyslexics with success stories of well known individuals so that
they don’t give up and indeed persevere.
Thus for example, there have been many dyslexics that have made
tremendous contributions to mankind. They include famous entertainers,
designers, architects, writers, athletes, jurists, physicians,
scientists, and political and business leaders.
None of the masterpieces that have been offered to the world by
Leonardo Da Vinci shows up an impairment which has been long suffered by
the artist. The contribution of Bill Gates, Vincent Churchill, Albert
Einstein and Pablo Picasso was flawless to the mankind.
These successful dyslexics learned to overcome or sidestep their
barriers, permitting them to accomplish their dreams and desires. In
fact, at times their disorder was found to be a catalyst for success -
forcing them to develop and utilize hidden talents. Often, their most
crucial “life-saving” characteristic was perseverance. They never gave
up no matter how difficult the task before them seemed. Their successful
lives, despite dyslexia, shows us that “miracles” can be accomplished so
long as dyslexics are encouraged by loving parents and caring teachers
to believe in themselves.
As a result of dyslexia, how many Einstein’s and Da Vinci’s - have
been stigmatized and pushed aside? All too often, learning-disabled
children grow up to be underemployed adults, shunted into routine,
dead-end occupations for life. Some have difficulties maintaining
families and raising children properly. Many drift into drugs and
alcohol - even crime. Their loss and cost to society is incalculable.
And tragically, this staggering loss was, and is, preventable!
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