Weekend festival hopes to raise awareness of dyslexia in Forth Valley area

The event, organised by Dyslexia Scotland, takes place at The Barracks Conference Centre, Forthside Way, Stirling from 10.30am to 4pm on Saturday, March 4.

Organisers say the day is not just aimed at people with dyslexia.

Dyslexia Scotland chief executive Cathy Magee said: “This learning difference is like a two-sided coin, often characterised by difficulties with reading, writing, memory and processing information, but with strong abilities in visual thinking and problem solving.

"DyslexiFest aims to showcase dyslexic strengths and highlight the help and support available to help manage any difficulties. If you have dyslexia, if you think you

have dyslexia, or if you teach, support or work with someone who has, please come along to the event."

Lena Gillies, Dyslexia Scotland national development officer, added “Every year we receive over two thousand phone calls to our Helpline from adults, students,

parents, teachers and employers who have questions about dyslexia, so we've brought together some experts who can answer those questions in person and point

people towards the help they need."

The charity is working to create a dyslexia-friendly Scotland and aims to inspire and enable all people with dyslexia to realise their potential, and to encourage change makers to help.

It wants Scotland to be a dyslexia-friendly country that values the skills and talents of dyslexic people and looks to inspire and enable people to reach their potential in life, learning and work.

During the day a marketplace of organisations who support dyslexia and give information and guidance on everything from assistive technology to dyslexia-friendly books and comics will be there, with talks on education and employment running throughout the event.

Employers, educators and teachers can also speak directly with the companies who have expertise on supporting dyslexic learners and employees, while dyslexic event-goers can expect to be surrounded by other dyslexic people, in what aims to be an event promoting and supporting dyslexic people.

Dyslexia Scotland Helpline advisers will be on hand to answer questions, and stall holders will be there to inspire and encourage dyslexic people of all ages to reach their potential in life.

Visit the Dyslexia Scotland website for more information.