The International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations welcomes a new member: the Jamaica Dyslexia Association (JDA), our first member in the Caribbean.
Jamaica has associations for many things, but until 2016 it had none for dyslexia. The JDA describes itself as the first and only charity in the country that focuses entirely on dyslexia, and it is a registered charity with the Companies Office of Jamaica. Its vision reaches beyond services: the association wants to influence public policy and laws by educating government officials, schools, employers, and the public about what people with dyslexia need.
Who they are
The association was founded by Heather Christian, a Jamaican-born Canadian who has dyslexia herself. She spent more than 25 years as an education administrator and community development project manager, served on boards in both Jamaica and Canada, and decided to make it her personal goal to bring dyslexia into the open in Jamaica. She is the JDA’s founder, chair, and chief executive.
In their own words, from their membership application:
The JDA provides helpful information and appropriate services that best meet the needs of those who have dyslexia without compromising quality and professionalism. The Association was developed through extensive consultation with key stakeholders that involved a range of organisations, individuals and families who have or have experienced dyslexia. The Jamaica Dyslexia Association (JDA), as a charitable organisation, is seeking to address the needs of children and adults with dyslexia and bring awareness, understanding, resources, and services to all people with dyslexia.
The association is run by a volunteer board and advised by an advisory board that brings together Jamaican and international expertise: Dr. Susan Anderson, an educational psychologist with more than 40 years in education, Dr. Barbara Matalon, consultant psychologist and retired professor at the University of the West Indies, Allan Caseman, a certified dyslexia assessor with experience in the United Kingdom and Jamaica, and Jannett Morgan, neurodiversity specialist and author of “Young, Gifted, Dyslexic and Black.” In practice, the JDA:
- offers a free half-hour phone consultation with an intake coordinator who has dyslexia, for individuals, families, schools, employers, and government agencies,
- provides formal dyslexia assessments and tutoring for children, teenagers, and adults at flat fees,
- trains educators and supports parents who home-school,
- advises government agencies on policies and employers on workplace adjustments,
- and publishes dyslexia checklists for preschoolers, school-age children, and adults.
The association also appoints Goodwill Ambassadors, Jamaicans and people of Jamaican descent from every continent, to raise awareness of dyslexia at home and in the diaspora. Its homepage quotes Harry Belafonte, the Jamaican-American singer and activist, on growing up in a school system where nobody understood learning differences.
Why it matters for IFDDA
Our members exchange knowledge, methods, and experience across borders. With the Jamaica Dyslexia Association, the federation gains its first member in the Caribbean and a partner that is building dyslexia support from the ground up in a country where it did not exist before. That is pioneering work, and pioneers benefit most from a network. We look forward to giving the JDA a larger stage and to learning how dyslexia is identified and supported in Jamaica.
You can find the Jamaica Dyslexia Association at jamaicadyslexiaassociation.com, and all IFDDA members at ifdda.org.
If you run a non-profit dyslexia or dyscalculia organization and would like to join the federation, membership is free. Apply at ifdda.org.