New Perspectives in Science Education

Dyslexia support is likely to be in place for students within educational establishments in Greece. However, there are a significant number of adults students with dyslexia in the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) who are no longer involved in education and for whom ongoing support is necessary to enable them to reach their potential in a world of increasing literacy demands. Legislation 3699/2008 has led to significant moves towards inclusion with Information Technology (IT) in the classroom lectures and laboratories. But the way of using IT has been a lack of public recognition of the concerns and needs articulated by adults with this invisible disability. The formation of voluntary group provides one model of support for adults students with dyslexia.

This paper examines the setting up of one such group and highlights issues involved in this process as the IT. The nature of the group structure and the support offered is discussed, including its impact on the individuals concerned. Also this provides an account of the initiation of a support group for adults’ students with dyslexia from AUA. The motivation behind this micro-research project was a perceived need in the university campus and in the historical centre of Athens where I have worked for a number of years (2001-2015)  in various contexts: as a special teacher for pupils and for adult students with disabilities and dyslexia, as a dyslexia assessor and a Educational Study Support Tutor specially for  the students with Dyslexia into AUA.

Some of the adults students with dyslexia have supports from these university courses in the local and university workplace. I was involved in facilitating this and while the IT in the individual session and group course of the process wanted to record my experiences and findings.

In Greece, national legislation clearly demonstrates commitment to the principle that inclusion for those with special educational needs, including dyslexia, transcends the world of education into the workplace. The very nature of the business model, where management is expected to make profits, is unlikely to provide the sort of support needed, as the students for AUA and in most businesses it may be that employers have no knowledge of dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties. It could be argued that employers want skilled staff and not staff who need supporting. Because they do not know that dyslexia is recognised as a learning difference caused by underlying difficulties at a neurological level. For those members of the population who are still in an educational environment such as AUA, support mechanisms with IT  to help cope with the increasing demands on literacy in both education and work are becoming increasingly well developed. Finally, commitment to the inclusion of those with dyslexia is less developed in workplaces. These tend to be driven by market forces which often make them less well placed to accommodate adults with diverse needs, as the dyslexia