On Monday, March 25, Sinclair hosted Dennis Harris to share his personal experience with dyslexia. In the Green Room of Building 2, Harris spoke about his life, his experiences, and his self-purpose, in an effort to educate the audience and encourage their empathy to all who struggle with dyslexia.
Harris retired from General Motors after 40 years, and now functions as a national motivational speaker. Among many other accolades, he is a former member of the Ohio Speakers Forum and the National Speakers Association. He was named one of 19 GSI Speakers Award.
The event began with the reading of an essay, written by Harris and delivered by Campus Faith Chaplain Paul Strozier. The words were intense and powerful; they encapsulated the loneliness of a life with dyslexia or any other disability.
780 million people across the world live with dyslexia. However, like so many other disabilities, its effects are often overlooked and diminished. People struggling with dyslexia are ostracized and expected to figure it out on their own. They’re regarded as stupid and less than, when they’re so often just as intellectually capable as their unburdened contemporaries.
Harris displayed graphics to the audience with blurred or scrambled words, illegible. He asked us to imagine every written word, all of the time, blurred like it was on the screen. How can a child be expected to learn when a normal curriculum includes so much reading and writing?
Photo Credit: Canva
He recounted his childhood, filled with bullying and frustration. Harris knew these experiences would lead him down one of two paths. One filled with hatred and anger, the other filled with service and joy. He used his experiences to connect and empathize with similar people, prohibiting them from suffering alone as he did.
“Going into restrooms, you have to identify men and ladies, but what if they change it to gentleman? Going in and out of doors, some doors have push or pull on them. The games and tricks that we create in order to survive is unspeakable,” said Harris.
Imagine every teacher writing jumbled notes on a whiteboard, assigned reading from a scrambled textbook, blurry street signs, and unreadable text messages. How would you make it by?
Harris learned, mostly by himself, how to survive with his disability. He dedicated his life to educating the public about dyslexia. In a vulnerable manner, unafraid, he shares his story and the stories of others like him.
In a society where advocating inclusion is evermore present, rightfully so, it’s men like Dennis Harris who lead the charge. Those who use their burden not as a weight on their shoulders, submitting to a life of dismay, but as a tool to earn a brighter future for their successors.
Davis Miller, Intern
(Featured Image from Canva)