Higher education and the workplace

There has been a great deal of progress in the area of higher education and, the workplace in terms of recognition and support of specific learning difficulty/disability (SpLDs). The social model of disability opposes the medical model commonly used in the health professions, making an important distinction between the terms 'impairment' and 'accommodation'. There also have been a number of reports commissioned and published, such as the Moser report on 'adult literacy', the adult dyslexia for employment, practice and training (ADEPT) report on best practice in assessment and support for adults with dyslexia, particularly focusing on the unemployed, the report on adult literacy by Rice and Brooks and the british dyslexia association (BDA) Employer's Guide. A shift towards greater personal responsibility, self-direction and self-advocacy is crucial to the attainment of employment success. Career guidance/counselling geared towards the needs of dyslexic people is arguably one of the most important, but under-resourced professional activities.