By Harry Ward
An organisation supporting people with dyslexia in Leeds is holding a major event at Pudsey Civic Hall in July.
The Yorkshire Dyslexia Festival — organised by Yorkshire Rose Dyslexia (YRD) — is set to bring the dyslexia community together with speakers and a range of exhibitions, at their event at Pudsey Civic Hall on the 5 July.
The event will feature talks on dyslexia in education and sensory needs along with a variety of activities and stalls from a range of organisations.
YRD, founded in 1987, has been supporting people with dyslexia in Leeds and Bradford for over 30 years. They have previously hosted the Festival at Elland Road stadium, which saw over 1,000 attend.
The organisation runs a very successful Touch Typing Club — which teaches dyslexic children and young people to Touch Type, a more accessible form of writing. They say this has massively boosted both school and wellbeing outcomes for young people they support.
Lee Hart, Co-Chair of YRD, said: “We really wanted it to be a celebration of dyslexia and other neuro conditions, we have stalls on dyscalculia and dyspraxia and other support services as well, which is fantastic.”
He also emphasised YRD’s drive for a “level playing field” in education, pointing out how class disparities often hinder access to screening, diagnosis, and ongoing support. To tackle this, the organisation is currently exploring an accreditation scheme — where schools could gain a ‘Dyslexia Friendly’ status for inclusive learning practices.
Lee said many parents are left with no choice but to take their local authority to tribunal to secure the support their child needs. “Families are having to take the local education authority to court,” he said, referring to the specialist Education Tribunal process.
While schools have a legal duty to support pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties, including dyslexia, many still fall short.
“Schools continue to fall behind,” Lee said. Although many recognise the value of interventions like Touch Typing, he added that in other cases, schools are reluctant to cooperate with families.
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