Borough Hall on the Grand Concourse, along with New York City Hall, will be lit up in turquoise, pink and purple Monday evening in honor of the World Dyslexia Assembly being held in Gotham.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams made the announcement Monday in conjunction with Made By Dyslexia, a global charity that claims to have built the world’s largest dyslexic community. A supporter of the event, the cause has personal meaning to Adams, who struggled with dyslexia growing up.
“Made By Dyslexia has made it their mission to train every teacher and help every workplace to spot, support, and empower every dyslexic mind,” he said. “As a student, I struggled with identifying my dyslexia until long after leaving the public school system. By changing the way we approach dyslexia, we can unlock the untapped potential in students who may feel insecure about their dyslexia or any other language-based learning disabilities they may have. I am proud to welcome the World Dyslexia Assembly here to New York City as we highlight great dyslexic thinkers in our city.”
Made By Dyslexia’s World Dyslexia Assembly NYC, which is taking place on Monday, April 3 at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center, will celebrate what advocates call the limitless power of “dyslexic thinking.” The event will include inspirational speakers, including “superstars, scientists and athletes,” who will explain how dyslexic thinking has helped them achieve remarkable heights.
In March 2022, dyslexic thinking was recognized as a skill on LinkedIn, according to Kate Griggs, founder and CEO of Made By Dyslexia, and was added as a term to Dictionary.com, which defines it as “an approach to problem-solving, assessing information, and learning, often used by people with dyslexia, that involves pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, lateral thinking, and interpersonal communication.”
“New York City is leading the way in empowering dyslexic thinking in its schools,” said Griggs. “By holding the World Dyslexia Assembly here in the city, we are celebrating what has been achieved and the limitless power of dyslexic thinking for all.”
Dyslexia affects 20 percent of the U.S. population and 80-90% of those with learning disabilities, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. It is also the most common of all neuro-cognitive disorders. Although the diagnosis cannot be cured, once detected it can be managed and those with the reading disability have been able to overcome it and lead successful lives.
“We are committed to going back to basics, strengthening our classroom instruction and supports, and focusing on ensuring every student becomes a skilled reader and confident learner,” said city Department of Education Chancellor David Banks. “I am proud … to provide the resources and interventions our educators need to best support our students with dyslexia.”
The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan will also be lit up at sundown.
Reach Christian Falcone at cfalcone@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-2541. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
