Rashtrapati Bhawan illuminated in red to spread awareness on dyslexia

In a bid to spread awareness on dyslexia, Rashtrapati Bhawan, North and South Block, along with several other historical monuments and government buildings across the country were illuminated in red on Sunday evening.

Every year, October is celebrated as International Dyslexia Awareness Month, when high-impact events and advocacy drives are organised under the theme 'Go Red'. 

The aim of such events is to remove the stigma associated with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, eradicate discrimination, and raise public awareness. 

To help spread awareness, Unesco MGIEP and its partner ChangeInkk Foundation, had sought the support of the government in 'Go Red' campaign, where several important buildings and monuments across Delhi displayed red lighting. 

As part of a country wide campaign to raise awareness, a "Walk4Dyslexia" was co-organised by the Changeinkk Foundation, UNESCO MGEIP, Orkids Foundation, and Soch Foundation on Saturday, 28 October at Kartavya Path in Delhi. 

The Walk was flagged off by Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy reinforcing the government's commitment to celebrating diversity. 

The Walk in Delhi included more than 300 people – across age groups and included people from all walks of life. 

Before kicking off the walk, Rajesh Aggarwal said: "I am very happy to be walking along side many bright children and other people today as we Walk4Dyslexia, Dyslexia has been recognized as one of the disabilities since 2016, and we need to come forward and make everyone aware about this issue as many great innovators and inventors have been dyslexic. I encourage everyone to treat all disabilities in a fair manner, be sensitive and be aware of the issues to ensure all children and adults get the best possible opportunities." 

Sanjay Kumar said: "We all are here to Walk4Dyslexia. there is a misconception that common is normal and we are here to celebrate diversity. We all are One for inclusion."

Nationwide, over 50 organisations have come together to "Walk4Dyslexia" in over 21 locations, traversing the breath of our country; from Lutyens' Delhi to the tribal districts of Orissa and Jharkhand, from the shores of Mumbai to the hills of Kohima, from the tech city of Bengaluru to cultural center of Lucknow, from the city of joy - Kolkata to the city of palaces-Jaipur, from central Bhopal to southern Chennai.

According to global estimates, Dyslexia affects one in every five individuals globally. 

While official numbers are unavailable, in India, this translates to over 200 million individuals, including 35 million students, living with a learning disability. 

However, only 1 in 20 get identified. A lesser-known fact about individuals with dyslexia is that they possess a wide range of skills required for higher order thinking including logical reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving and innovation.