Week 1: Defining dyslexia

Introduction

Welcome to Week 1 of Understanding dyslexia! This week will lay the foundation for our deep dive into the world of dyslexia. Some key terms and ideas will be introduced, including:

• how society’s views on disabilities have changed over time
• two different ways of thinking about disability and the idea of ‘intersectionality’
• in-depth exploration of the world of dyslexia definitions.

You’ll start your journey by looking at the disability rights movement that took place in the 1960s. This was a pivotal time that greatly influenced how we understand dyslexia today. So, let’s get started!

By the end of this week, you should be able to:

• understand how societal views on disabilities have evolved over time, particularly influenced by the disability rights movement of the 1960s
• describe how these societal views impact the current understanding of dyslexia
• explain different ways of thinking about disability, including the concept of intersectionality
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of various definitions and perspectives on dyslexia.

The Open University would really appreciate a few minutes of your time to tell us about yourself and your expectations for the course before you begin, in our optional start-of-course survey [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . Participation will be completely confidential and we will not pass on your details to others.