Tuesday 9 October 2012

Launch of Ghana's First Dyslexia Awareness Week

Ghana's first Dyslexia Awareness Week was launched yesterday at the British Council, Accra. Welcoming the audience, Ms Joy Bannerman-Addy, Founder of Crossroads@U2Kan, said that the organisation's goal is to empower  and support people with dyslexia to achieve their possible best and educate the public about dyslexia.

According to her, ten percent of Europe, America and the world are dyslexic, hence, it could comfortably be assumed that the same percentage is dyslexic in Ghana, even though there have not been any researches on dyslexia in the country. She stressed the need to provide support for and encouragement to dyslexics.
 

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability (SpLD) characterised by the inability to recognise and comprehend written words. A UK based dyslexia SpLD Consultant, Mrs. Eleanor-May Brenneker, revealed that dyslexia is not a disease but a difficulty. Dyslexia has no cure; people are born and die with it. The cause of dyslexia is not yet known, however, early recognition of dyslexia and appropriate intervention can reduce its effects to the extent that dyslexics can operate normally as their peers in undertaking tasks with ease.

The event, which also run concurrently in Britain and other parts of the world, was attended by students, teachers, parents, the press and the general public, who advocated for a liaising with the Ghana Education Service to incorporate dyslexia training into the curriculum of teacher training colleges in Ghana.


The week-long campaign continues today with a three-day training workshop (9th-12th October, 2012) at the Kama Conference Centre, Labone, 9.00am to 4.00pm each day.

Crossroads is running screening and assessment programmes as part of the awareness week. 

For more information about the Dyslexia Awareness Week, please contact: 0302 230391/020 189 4342/ 020 064 6863. For screening and one to one support that is tailor-made to suit your individual requirements, call: 020 811 6193/020 064 6863.

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