A high-profile employment tribunal ruling against Starbucks for victimising a dyslexic worker has thrust the condition into the spotlight – but Bristol designer Ian Richmond says his dyslexia is actually beneficial at work.
Ian, pictured, a graphic designer with online marketing company GWS Media, believes it helps him to think ‘outside the box’ and gives him a different perspective to most people. 
Ian, 30, said: “Sometimes people wrongly assume you’re an ‘idiot’ if you’re dyslexic. But it just means you think differently, which can help you stand out from the crowd. Design is an ideal job. Images are my words.”
Dyslexia is a ‘learning difficulty’ which can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling – although intelligence is not affected.
Starbucks worker Meseret Kumulchew’s legal victory against her employers – who had accused her of falsifying documents when she had simply misread numbers – was seen as a breakthrough in the way dyslexia is treated in the workplace.
Campaigners say it highlights the importance of employers making allowances for staff with dyslexia.
However Ian, a former UWE student, said he has been lucky in being supported at home, school and now at work.
GWS has installed software on his computer to help him read and write. He has also been provided with a Dictaphone to record briefs as his short-term memory is also affected.
Ian said: “I used to wear green-tinted glasses, which helped me to read the words, rather than pick up the spaces in between. But as a designer you need to know your colours.
“With ‘read-and-write’ software I can hear the words. The team here also help me when I need, such as checking my emails.”
Ian was a maths wiz at school but struggled with reading from an early age. However, he was not diagnosed with dyslexia until the age of 14 because of his ability to blend in.
“Words were my downfall and sometimes the information would seem a bit jumbled,” he said. “My mum suspected something wasn’t right and at first I was tested for colour blindness.
“I struggled to read in class and wasn’t sure of what was in front of me. It affected my confidence. It was frustrating and confusing and when I was finally diagnosed, it was a relief.”
He said dyslexia has meant he has had to work harder, but it has not held him back.
“Dyslexia just means I have to work at 100% all the time. There are challenges, but I just have to work differently.
“There is help and support out there and I would say to anyone with dyslexia not to give up on their goals. We’re just different and in some ways it can in fact be a gift.”
GWS director David Graves said: “We immediately recognised Ian’s talent and were happy to support him. I believe it’s been beneficial to everyone concerned.
“Ian has now been with us for nearly 10 years. He is an extremely creative individual and we’re lucky to have him as part of our team.”
The British Dyslexia Association estimates that one in 10 people have dyslexia to some degree, although many have not been formally diagnosed.
Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie and Alan Turing are all known or suspected dyslexics. People with the condition are often good at spatial reasoning, problem solving or be particularly creative.
Ian and GWS were supported with an Access to Work Government grant. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/overview
For more information or support for dyslexia, visit www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/
