How dyslexia is impacting the construction industry
It is estimated that around 20,000 people within the construction industry are dyslexic. More interestingly, many are not even aware of it.
Firstly, what is dyslexia? And what challenges does it pose for day-to-day life?
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects a person’s reading and writing skills. This can also impact processing, memory, and organisational abilities. Naturally then, reading, creating, and analysing quotes, documents and contracts can often be more stressful and time consuming than it ought to be. To make matters even more pertinent, further research shows dyslexia to be more common among architects, construction workers, entrepreneurs, farmers, scientists, and the medical professions.
Dyslexia is not an uncommon condition and is recognised globally as a learning difficulty. In fact, approximately 10% of the world’s population has it. This equates to over 6 million people in the UK alone – 10% of the country’s workforce. Plus, with the BBC reporting that schools are failing to diagnose at least 80% of dyslexic pupils, it’s important to know what this means for the workforce at large.
As dyslexia is a lifelong condition that impacts a person’s day-to-day life, it meets the criteria of a disability, and is included as a protected characteristic in the 2010 Equality Act. Despite this, schools today still fail to diagnose dyslexic pupils. Meaning it is likely many are working with dyslexia with little to no support or awareness. This might be especially true for the construction industry.
Although there is no conclusive research, stats suggest that dyslexia may be two or three times more prevalent within the construction industry than in any other. Why? Well, there are some common advantages which suggest why construction is an attractive industry to those suffering with dyslexia.
Research shows dyslexics are:
- Excellent problem solvers
- Logical thinkers
- Brilliant at spatial reasoning (recalling virtual environments)
Unsurprisingly, dyslexic adults are drawn to hands-on, practical occupations. Roles that require the creative problem-solving abilities associated with dyslexic thinking styles.
And the industry is catching on. Due to the rising prevalence of undiagnosed cases of dyslexia, there are now apps and tools that have been tailored to help those with dyslexia across many different occupations. ProntoCalc is one such platform.
How can ProntoCalc help with dyslexia?
ProntoCalc is a web-based build cost calculator designed for Builders, Architects and Homeowners. The application uses simple and straightforward data entry systems to produce a 16-page PDF output which details all aspects of your build.
For those struggling with dyslexia, costing, and writing up project quotes and reports can be challenging, time consuming and admin heavy. With ProntoCalc, you can effortlessly input your projects figures, and our app will automatically summarise all the key information in a clear, concise, and easy to understand 16-page PDF report. In addition, using our app can reduce the likelihood of costly mistakes and errors when pricing and managing your project, helping you to accurately understand the cost of your project clearly and ensuring you get paid for all the work you do.
If you believe you’re experiencing any symptoms often associated with dyslexia, we suggest contacting a medical professional to see what support is available. In the meantime, we’re offering a free 14-day trial of ProntoCalc over at www.prontocalc.com – any questions, simply ask a member of our team on nick@prontocalc.com .
