To think colleague over-reacted a little?

[Iklboo]

We were talking about Strictly and she said she really wants Kara to win now as she's just heard that Kara is dyslexic.
I asked, quite innocently, 'Does that make a difference for her?'
She stood up and pointed her finger at me and said in a quite tense voice 'She has problems telling her right from her left and so puts in extra hours of training. THAT's the kind of difference it makes to her iklboo! She's disabled'.
AIBU to think she's being a little bit over-sensitive because:
a) Kara whatserface wouldn't know my colleague if she stood up in her soup
b) Colleague doesn't know anyone with dyslexia (she stated as much). I do - DH is dyslexic.

It's not the first time she's worshipped at the altar of celebrity and given one of us an earful for not agreeing with her

Sure - I wasn't trying to have a go, please don't think that. I just find it humorous that so many different dyslexic traits just undercut each other and mess up coping strategies (or reinforce and help ... ok ...).

Skeleton my DH struggles with left and right, I have shown him how to do this but he does it with his palms facing him so it doesn't work! (I suspect on purpose TBH)

sounds familiar - I got the instructor to do 'over your side' and 'over my side' on my driving test.

I am really pissed off about the disabled thing mind.

YANBU - your colleague sounds a right piece of work.

I'm rubbish at left and right as well, not dyslexic. I also haven't a cat's chance in hell of winning Strictly, whether dancing in competition with Kara or not.

Kara has recently been highlighting some of the issues people with dyslexia can face, but that's hardly the same thing. Should Widdy win on the grounds that being shit at dancing is a disability?!

I am loving the comments re left and right. Oh it is so very simple to hold you hands up to make the shapes but I mirror write so that is no help to me. I do a lot of training for routines and it is a problem but can be worked around. I was once a member of a team who did routines. A simple costume change - a bobble on the wrist helped me know which way to go. WOuld have worked better if it was the wrist i normally had the bobble on but still definetly workable around. Also i know many people who dont know their left and right who arent dyslexic. That is why it is the left and the other left to some people. Or in my case my right and ds' right

should win because disable she would appear to live on a different plane of existance.

To help my children remember I tell them they write with their right.
This worked until I had two lefties!

Yes, what on earth is 'near-side' in a car? My parking permit says on the back it's meant to be on the 'near side' but I have no idea what that means. It's horse terminology, isn't it? Maybe?

Isnt it nearside to the curb? of course it could be nearside to the driver. So none the wiser really.

LOL. What a silly cow your colleague is OP!

Celebrity culture. It's a weird, weird thing.

Your colleague is way too involved.

For giving us the phrase," .... stood up in her soup", however, I think I can forgive it, just a little. And be vey grateful to you.

Yes your colleague was properly OTT

But I'd like Kara to win too - since whilst I am no Eastenders fan, having seen her recent documentary she seemed like a thoroughly lovely person.

It is also possible that with the short term working memory issues that many dyslexics have, including Kara, memorising the dance steps in her routine may well be much harder for her than her fellow celebs....so, I will be rooting for her for that reason too (so shoot me!)

Must address this comment:

"Kara has recently been highlighting some of the issues people with dyslexia can face, but that's hardly the same thing. Should Widdy win on the grounds that being shit at dancing is a disability?!"

Err, you seem to be implying that dyslexia is a not a disability (as, curiously do some others on this thread including those who 'know' a dyslexic), and on a par at being crap with dancing? As it happens, dyslexia is a disability; a learning disability! A little bit askance that any of you would seek to argue with that

A lot of people with dyslexia would certainly NOT consider themselves disabled. You can't tell them they are wrong if they are the ones arguing with you.

I always hesitate at the do you have a disablity question on job applications as no i dont consider myself to have a disability. I am just wired differently. Makes life more interesting

Skeleton, I've tried that but, despite my real name beginning with L - they often look the same :) It does work sometimes though!

Well exactly, my DS does not consider himself disabled, he has heightened abilities in some areas. And I do know him - no inverted commas required.

His problems with reading, spelling. telling the time etc. are only a problem within the confines of a society which measures success by proficiency in these areas.

I think people are more concerned with the idea of supporting someone in a dancing contest 'because' they are disabled, rather than because they are good at dancing. Which Kara plainly is, I doubt she'd want people voting for her out of 'pity'.

Me too, Einstein - but I do think there's a huge difference between saying yourself that you're disabled, and someone else saying it about you. Minor example I know, but my friend is blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other - I'd never go round saying 'oh, she's disabled', because that's something for her to say, if she feels the need.

Cross-posted there kurri. I think you said it better than I did.

I sometimes think dyslexia is especially complex, because whereas having, say, sight problems is fairly unambiguously a pain in the arse without positive implications, dyslexia brings both the highs and the lows.

I don't wish to piss on your good idea for remembering r from l, but remember that many cultures (Russia being one) have the wedding ring on the right hand.

I KNOW that most of the people you know, personally and online, will be British, but it'd be just your luck to currently be advising a dyslexic Russian how to identify r from l!!!!

I'd just like to tell you ladies that, because of this thread, I had an extremely rude dream about Robin (Patsy's partner) last night

Maybe you should have said that Kara actually has a massive advantage having had dance training at a very good school for years!!

"A lot of people with dyslexia would certainly NOT consider themselves disabled. You can't tell them they are wrong if they are the ones arguing with you.2

They have a learning disability - simples. You are getting on my tits now

And many of my close family members have dyslexia including my father, my daughter, neices and nephews so piss right off