A dyslexic Englishman who was never properly taught how to read in school has finally been able to enjoy a copy of a magazine he bought in 1985.
Ted Midgely has learned how to read at 58 years old thanks to the help of a tutor, who told the BBC that adults without the ability to read are actually more common in the UK than one might think.
Midgely was born in Bradford, England, where he struggled in school and was dubbed “lazy” by the teaching staff. It was only when he arrived in middle school that someone reached out to his parents and suggested Ted might be dyslexic.
Leaving middle school, he was moved to another institute for those with learning impairments but struggled, and eventually drifted out of the education system altogether to work in a textile mill.
No one reading needs to feel sorry for Midgely, as despite his inability to read, he had a rewarding career as a mechanic for the specialist motorcycles used in a unique British motorsport called ‘speedway’ in which the riders compete on a dirt oval track with single-gear dirtbikes that have no breaks.
He’s gotten to travel around the world for races, and it acted as the genesis for his desire to learn how to read.
“I got involved with a young chap from Australia called Brayden Elliot and it’s gone really well and I want to become his manager—that’s what I’d like to do,” Midgley told the BBC. “But to do that I need to read emails.”
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He has been taking two 30-minute lessons a week from Duncan Livsey, a tutor with Read Easy Derby.
“He’s been brilliant,” Livsey said. “Because Ted’s so positive he’s been so easy to teach—it’s been so rewarding and I get a buzz each time I sit down with him.”
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As well as reading Elliot’s emails, Midgely was able to read something a lot more special: a copy of Speedway Star magazine he bought 40 years ago.
“I had this for so long and I’ve never been able to read it… it was amazing to do it,” he said.
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