23 Sep Southend resident keen to raise awareness of how his lifelong battle to get his dyslexia recognised
A resident of HARP, Southend’s homeless charity, is keen to raise awareness of how his lifelong battle to get his dyslexia recognised eventually led to him becoming homeless.
Neil Bush, 50, has struggled to find suitable employment for the past twenty years, as numerous employers had been unable to adapt to his needs.
Neil’s HARP Key Worker, Duncan Abbott, researched ways to help Neil move forward, eventually reaching out to Lighthouse Club, a charity for construction workers, for help.
“I’ve been trying to get my dyslexia recognised for years – HARP is the first organisation that has helped me get the recognition I need to help me to get and keep a job”.
Now that Neil has completed his dyslexia assessment and got the diagnosis, he will qualify for additional help and access to specialised dyslexia teaching. This will assist him when he starts his Maths and English courses this month.
Duncan, Neil’s key worker at HARP, said: “For me, this is just the start of Neil’s HARP journey, and we will continue supporting him until he achieves all of his objectives.”
Neil is now looking to the future and wants to raise more awareness about the employment issues faced by people with undiagnosed learning difficulties like dyslexia.
Neil said: “This has taken away a good chunk of my working life, but it’s not just about me. My relationships and my family have also suffered. My son has dyslexia – I don’t want him to suffer like me. I want people to know that there is help out there – it can be hard to find but with the right help and support, you can get there.”
