Poor Percy F.
Diagnosed with “congenital word blindness” in 1896.
What happened to Percy? Did he ever learn to read? Did he have a happy life?
Why don’t we know more about him, and all the boys and girls who have struggled to read the written word?
The history of dyslexia, and people with dyslexia, is fascinating. And yet, it remains largely untold.
It’s important to document our history: to see how we have been labelled and mislabeled, treated and mistreated; how far have we come in understanding and accepting dyslexia, and where we need to go.
That’s why I’m so excited about Oxford University’s History of Dyslexia project. They are tracing the origins of dyslexia (primarily in the UK) – the early advocates, pioneers and researchers who got us where we are today. They are also collecting histories of people with dyslexia.
