5th October 2007

A fledgling but pioneering partnership between two leading disability organisations is already starting to reap rewards for people with dyslexia and literacy difficulties around the country.

Remploy and Dyslexia Action only formally teamed up in January, but the partnership is already increasing the employment opportunities of people with dyslexia.

The two organisations are, in addition, providing support to employees with dyslexia to help improve their skills within a current role or when considering promotional opportunities.

Remploy is the country’s leading provider of employment services for disabled people. It is the company’s mission to support disabled people into mainstream jobs by preparing candidates for the workplace and helping to find suitable vacancies.

The company can also intervene on the behalf of disabled people if they encounter barriers at work and then work with employers to bring about “reasonable adjustments” which can make all the difference to people’s ability to perform.

Dyslexia Action, the UK’s leading provider of services for people with dyslexia, has, since the partnership agreement was signed in January this year, provided training to 70 Remploy employment advisors across the country which has enabled them to identify more job seekers with reading, writing and learning problems and so better help job-seekers find suitable and sustainable employment.

Remploy advisors can, if required, refer jobseekers to Dyslexia Action to access their services in the form of a full psychological assessment, dyslexic screening or one to one support. Remploy can then use the information to identify a vocational area in which the candidates could work and any adjustments which may be needed to enable them to achieve sustainable employment.

Mark Burrett, a Remploy development services manager, said around 10 people so far referred by Dyslexia Action had been found suitable jobs and a further six already in work were being offered support in their employment through Remploy’s Return to Work programme.

Details of the partnership were highlighted in a Dyslexia Action newsletter which was circulated among key businesses with whom Remploy deals in an effort to stress the importance of the link-up and the benefits it can bring, not only to disabled people but also to employers.

The central theme of Remploy and Dyslexia Action’s message to businesses is that they should consider the needs of employees who have dyslexia and also realise the importance of taking advantage of the talents people with dyslexia have by recruiting them, so reducing unemployment, improving the skills of the workforce and benefiting the employer.

Stephen Dunn, Remploy’s corporate accounts manager, said in the newsletter: “Remploy and Dyslexia Action are two leading national experts in their fields and by joining forces we have been able to substantially strengthen our remit to employees with dyslexia.

“Remploy, with Dyslexia Action on board, is aiming to help people with dyslexia or literacy problems achieve their full potential at work.”

Dyslexia Action’s regional principal Helen Boyce said there had already been many cross referrals between the two organisations, from as far afield as from Glasgow to Winchester and from Cardiff to Lincoln.

She said the relationship with Remploy was growing stronger all the time and added: “Dyslexia is often referred to as a ‘hidden disability’, with people being unaware of their difficulties until someone recognises the symptoms.

“Dyslexia Action and Remploy are working together to address this and ensure that more job seekers with dyslexic difficulties are identified and supported both into and in the workplace.”

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