How many people really know about learning disabilities, most importantly how many know that they are suffering from them?

John Mbulaheni, Creative Director and Chairperson of We-are-able Creative Art Centre in Mofolo was fortunate enough to discover and understand the type of learning disability that he had from a young age.

”I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was very young while still in primary school. Luckily my primary school teachers were able to identify that I had a learning disability and they referred me to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital for assessments and that is when I was taken to an institution that was called Tswelopelo Institution for the Mentally Handicapped then.

“That is when I truly discovered that I was not as good academically but more gifted with work that involved my hands,” said Mbulaheni.

According to The International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. It refers to a cluster of symptoms which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading.

Mbulaheni believes that out of all disabilities the one that kills the most confidence is a learning disability because of how much society prioritises education.

”In this kind of condition, I can’t attain a matric certificate or even go to university simply because of the way my brain is set up.

“There are many people who live in hiding because of this condition, they mask it with something else that they are good at and they don’t want to talk about it up until they find themselves in a situation where they have to read and write,” said Mbulaheni.

”It took a long time even for me to accept the fact that I am partially able to read and write, it’s an ongoing battle even today.”

“This condition can manifest in other areas, for instance, it’s difficult for people who have dyslexia to even report a case at the police station because they fear that they might be asked to write down a statement.”

Mbulaheni also states that there are different spectrums to dyslexia, for some people they can’t add numbers up and others mix words up when they have to write them and this is what he experiences.

If he needs to copy a text from somewhere, he finds it difficult to write a full sentence without looking word by word at it.

People who have dyslexia also learn in different ways or styles, for others, they learn through audio, some learn through visuals while others find it easier to mimic someone else.

”The other difficulty that we face is that the community and the educational system is not geared up to this condition, fortunately, my family is very open-minded and my grandmother has been my biggest supporter, she was the one that was instrumental in the whole process that leads to me being diagnosed.” said Mbulaheni.

”A strong support system is essential for people who have this condition, my family, the environment I’m in and my religious background also give me strength.

“The other thing is that I’m a driven person naturally, I always believe there’s something better,” said Mbulaheni.

”I wish people can understand that we are all different as people. Having a learning disability doesn’t mean that you are dumb.”

”It’s all good and well to try to encourage people with dyslexia by telling them about people who were able to make a success of their lives regardless of this condition, people like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson, however, it’s difficult to a young child in Soweto to relate to someone who is so far. It is very important for people within our own society to come out.”

Mbulaheni says the education system needs to accommodate people with learning disabilities and people should be prepared in a much better way once they are diagnosed before being taken to disability institutions.

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