Initially I suggested that because a dyslexic confused 3 with 8 and 6 with 9 that a dyslexic should use binary maths instead of decimal maths and should use an abacus instead of a calculator
.In response to a request for help in using a telephone I suggested that the keyboard 3 should be covered with 3 dots, the 6 with 6 dots, the 8 with 8 dots and the 9 with 9 dots. It worked !
After conversations with a Chinese nursing sister I found that chinese number ideograms were unique, it did not matter how they were displayed, so would be no problem for a dyslexic. If you substituted the chinese symbols for 3, 6, 8, and 9 within our hindi system one could once more use decimal maths. I gather that the Chinese are now using Western symbols so dyslexia will now appear in China. The chinese ideograms were complex so why not use new symbols with a mathematical concept. Instead of 3 use a triangle. Instead of 6 use two triangles joined at their apexes. Instead of 8 use two rectangles, again joined at their corners. And for 9 used three triangle joined in a star. These symbols could be used on a calculator and computer keypad and decimal maths could be available once more to the dyslexic. But it would be an act of faith and confidence for the dyslexic who could not read the display. So write a simple program to change the initial and final display on the computer and calculator. Programmers tell me that it is so easy that someone must have done it before. If so tell me . I suspect that one floppy disc and my article on "Choclit the cat and dyslexia" will assign dyslexia to the rubbish bin of history.
(c) l996 S.S.G.Hale