The United States has about 55 million K-12th grade students. It can be expected, conservatively, that about 5.5 million of those children are dyslexic. Some neurodiversity advocates would put the number even as high as nearly 11 million. Unfortunately, the National Center for Education Statistics estimates that only 4.5% of all K-12 students are diagnosed with dyslexia or other learning disabilities.
The discrepancy means the parents of 3 to 9 million kids are likely desperate for help to understand why their children are having difficulties reading and learning.
The numbers are similar for adults. In a U.S. workforce of roughly 160 million people, it can be expected that, conservatively, 16-20 million workers have dyslexia. They can be found in all professions and trades. Often these individuals hide their difficulty with reading, others gravitate to jobs that require minimal decoding of text. For 95% of these adults, their dyslexia is undiagnosed. Most know little if anything about the topic.
“I am an adult dyslexic…[this is] an outstanding documentary… So powerful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
~ Dr. Tammy Elser, Pablo, MT
A Blame It on Gutenberg Dyslexia Learning Forum provides actionable information, as well as the opportunity to ask questions, learn from experts, and meet others faced with similar challenges of coping with dyslexia and managing its impact on their lives.
Help Parents
“[My son] was taken off his IEP after 5th grade and I basically argued with the staff and principal and got nowhere and no support from any educator, administrator, or my husband. I caved. I will regret that decision till the day I die…[it] set him up for failure.”
~Laura P, Sylvania OH
Laura expresses a frustration and vulnerability experienced by parents across the country. When coupled with a lack of understanding about dyslexia and budgetary tensions in school systems, the result is a large cohort of parents isolated from support who are generally younger and without the resources to secure help for their children.
Help Teachers
Teachers are also in need of information and support. Many are working from knowledge bases which are based on findings and theories which are decades old and are not being taught to instruct in the ways new research has documented to be most effective.
Help Employees
Learning to read doesn’t come naturally. It involves repurposing neural pathways originally adapted to spotting prey or avoiding predators. That’s why many highly intelligent individuals will slog painfully through these paragraphs, while effortlessly absorbing the visual and verbal content in Blame It On Gutenberg and readily gain additional insight from a panel discussion and Q&A session.
Create An Event
Bring the people impacted by dyslexia in your organization or community together with other parents, teachers, and advocates to learn and exchange ideas. Provide a forum where people can ask questions, discover resources, and share insights
Create an event, in-person or virtually, that serves your community while also promoting your organization or school. Use Blame It On Gutenberg as the catalyst to draw people to your event. The 64-minute film conveys a wide range of information succinctly and effectively. Utilize our experience, resources, and network of experts who can help your organization plan and stage your Forum to have the greatest impact.
“After surveying the field of films about dyslexia, we chose Blame It On Gutenberg because we felt its scope and quality of presentation would be greatly appreciated by our audience and provide an excellent set-up for an ensuing panel discussion. And based on the reaction to our event, our choice was validated.”
~Trina O’Connor, M.Ed., The Fletcher School, Charlotte NC
“It was awesome! All I can say is thank you for all your work with this incredible film! All attendees responded how powerful the message was and the way the film was put together was outstanding! We had quite a discussion afterwards, which invigorated all of us. ”
~Lisa Cyr, ALTA-NH, Derry NH
For more information on how we can help you hold a Learning Forum in your community please connect with us below.