Dyslexia Awareness Month Study: Canadians Calling for More Funding to Support Children

• Dyslexia affects 15 to 20 per cent of children and impacts their ability to read, write and spell
• 86 per cent of Canadians want more government funding to support children with dyslexia
• More than 90 per cent want educators to receive more dyslexia training

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2019 /CNW/ - To mark the start of Dyslexia Awareness Month this October, Dyslexia Canada released the results of a study that examines Canadians' views on the learning disability, which impacts 15 to 20 per cent of the population.

The study, conducted by Pollara on behalf of Dyslexia Canada, found the following:

• The majority of Canadians (86 per cent) want more government funding to support children with dyslexia and to raise awareness of the learning disability.
• More than nine-in-10 Canadians (92 per cent) believe it is important that educators receive training about dyslexia.
• Less than one-third (30 per cent) say they may be able to recognize if someone has dyslexia.

"It's encouraging to see that the overwhelming majority of Canadians believe that more should be done to help those impacted by dyslexia," said Keith Gray, Founder and Chair of Dyslexia Canada. "Dyslexia causes children to have difficulty with reading, writing and spelling. They can face stigma and shame, making school far more challenging, and it has been linked to increased dropout rates, depression, abuse, incarceration and the entrenchment of illiteracy among Canadian adults."

Mr. Gray noted that with proper early identification, instruction and support, children with the disability can minimize the impact dyslexia has over their lives. Almost every US state has some form of legislation in place, as do most Commonwealth countries. Canada lacks legislation and does not have mandatory testing in place for all children. "That's why Dyslexia Canada is strongly advocating for compulsory assessment at schools and mandatory training for primary educators," added Mr. Gray.

Fortunately, Canadians can visit www.DyslexiaIDA.org to take an online dyslexia screening test for adults or children, or go to www.DyslexiaCanada.org/assessors to locate a dyslexia assessor near them.

Dyslexia Canada Launches Mark It Read Campaign in October

The Mark It Read campaign, launched by Dyslexia Canada with the support of IG Wealth Management, is designed to build further awareness about the issue and what can be done to address it.

For children with dyslexia, the markings of a teacher's red pen serve as a constant reminder of the challenge to keep up with their peers. As part of the campaign, prominent buildings and monuments across the country will be lit up in the colour red throughout Dyslexia Awareness Month in October.

"As a company committed to enhancing the literacy and confidence of Canadians, IG Wealth Management is proud to help champion the cause of Dyslexia Canada," said Jeff Carney, President and CEO, IG Wealth Management. "All children deserve a fair and equal education, and that means better support in the classroom for students with dyslexia."

Regional Mark It Read Activations

Newfoundland
October 22: Confederation Building, St. John's
Nova Scotia
October 16: The Big Fiddle, Sydney October 20-26: Nova Scotia Province House, Halifax	October 22: City of Halifax, City Hall, Halifax
New Brunswick
October 24: News Brunswick Legislative Building, Fredericton
Ontario
October 16-17: Brant Street Pier, Burlington October 17: City of London City Hall; JA Taylor building and Fountain at the Forks, London October 20: Toronto 3D Sign, Toronto  October 21: Fort Erie Peace Bridge, Fort Erie	October 22: City of Kingston, City Hall, Kingston October 22: Cambridge Sign and Pedestrian Bridge, Cambridge October 22: CN Tower, Toronto  October 25: Niagara Falls, Niagara
Manitoba
October 26: Winnipeg Sign, Winnipeg
Saskatchewan
October 21: City of Regina, City Hall, Regina	October 23: City of Saskatoon City Hall, Saskatoon
Alberta
October 16: Galleria Trees, Calgary October 21: Calgary Tower, Calgary   October 23: City of Lethbridge, City Hall, Lethbridge	October 24: Edmonton High Level Bridge, Edmonton  October 24: Reconciliation Bridge, Calgary
British Columbia
October 21: BC Place, Vancouver  October 21: Sails of Light, Vancouver	October 21: Science World BC, Vancouver

For ideas on how all Canadians can help to Mark it Read, go to www.dyslexiacanada.org/mark-it-read and join the conversation on social media by sharing the images of the buildings and monuments lit up using #markitread and #dyslexiacanada.

About Dyslexia Canada
Dyslexia Canada is a national not for profit committed to ensuring that every child in Canada with dyslexia gets a fair and equitable education. Dyslexia Canada was formed in 2016 to ensure that there was a national voice and forum to advocate for all Canadian children with dyslexia. By partnering with professional organizations, experts and advocates, Dyslexia Canada strives to drive systemic change by engaging and educating the public and establishing legislation specific to recognizing and remediating dyslexia.

About the Study
Survey results are from online interviews conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, with a random sample of 1,515 adult Canadians, conducted between August 30 and September 3, 2019. As a guideline, a probability sample of this size would yield results accurate to ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Data has been weighted by gender, age and region, based on the most recent Census figures, so that it is representative of all Canadians.

SOURCE IG Wealth Management

Media Contact: Amy Bonwick, [phone], [email protected]