Secretary, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy Shri Sanjay Kumar along with Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Shri Rajesh Aggarwal  flagged off the walk for dyslexia, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to celebrating diversity. The Walk in Delhi included more than 300 persons – across age groups and included people from all walks of life.

As part of a country wide campaign to raise awareness, a "Walk4Dyslexia" was co-organized by the Changeinkk Foundation, UNESCO MGEIP, Orkids Foundation, and Soch Foundation on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

In a bid to spread the awareness on Dyslexia, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Secretariat, along with several other historical monuments and government buildings across the country were also illuminated in red on Sunday evening.

Nationwide, over 50 organizations have come together to “Walk4Dyslexia" in over 21 locations, traversing the breath of our country; from Lutyens's Delhi to the tribal districts of Orissa and Jharkhand, from the shores of Mumbai to the hills of Kohima, from the tech city of Bengaluru to cultural center of Lucknow, from the city of joy- Kolkata to the city of palaces-Jaipur, from central Bhopal to southern Chennai.

Every year, October is celebrated as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, when high-impact events and advocacy drives are organized under the theme ‘Go Red’. The aim of such events is to remove the stigma associated with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, eradicate discrimination, and raise public awareness.

Before kicking off the walk, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal said, “I am very happy to be walking along side many bright children and other people today as we Walk4Dyslexia, Dyslexia has been recognized as one of the disabilities since 2016, and we need to come forward and make everyone aware about this issue as many great innovators and inventors have been dyslexic. I encourage everyone to treat all disabilities in a fair manner, be sensitive and be aware of the issues to ensure all children and adults get the best possible opportunities.”

Shri Sanjay Kumar said, “We all are here to Walk4Dyslexia, there’s a misconception that common is normal and we are here to celebrate diversity. We all are One for inclusion.”

According to global estimates, Dyslexia affects one in every five individuals globally. While official numbers are unavailable, in India, this translates to over 200 million individuals, including 35 million students, living with a learning disability. However, only 1 in 20 get identified.

Often considered the “duffer syndrome”, a lesser-known fact about individuals with dyslexia is that they possess a wide range of skills required for higher order thinking including logical reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving and innovation. In fact, 40% of self-made millionaires have dyslexia and many of the world’s renowned inventors, including Einstein are known to have dyslexia.

Specific Learning Disabilities, including dyslexia, were officially recognized for the first time, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016, which mandates equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life, including education and employment. The National Education Policy of 2020 further reinforces this mandate by emphasizing inclusive education for them from foundational education to higher education.

The impetus provided by India’s legal and policy mandates have helped gain momentum to help shed light on many strengths of the dyslexic mind and mainstream their inclusion to help them not just survive but thrive. Reflected in the NEP2020 reforms being implemented with increasing focus on early identification, building teacher capacities and providing support and accommodations to students.  

The growing support for the movement bears testimony to how individuals with learning disabilities can not only be supported, but empowered to forge diverse paths to success, ultimately advancing our society. After all, the next Nobel laureate, unicorn founder, or disruptive innovator may indeed emerge from the pool of differently abled minds in India.

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SS/AK

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