‘Doof’ for thought

As Ananya peruses the menu at Higginbothams Writer’s Cafe in Gopalapuram, a surprised smile plays on her lips. Her brow crinkles in amused confusion and she turns to her friend. They will be having a little-heard-of dish “Wargereta pizza with vejetarien topppings” and “Maffles (Honee and Wibbed Creem)”.

The spelling is not a misprint, but an interesting new way of helping people look through the eyes of a dyslexic child. The Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) has partnered with the restaurant to raise awareness about dyslexia. “About 10 to 15% of kids in Chennai are dyslexic. We wanted to increase empathy for children with this learning disability. They shouldn’t be just labelled as lazy or under-performers,” said D Chandrasekhar, President of the MDA. Chandrasekhar got in touch with M Mahadevan, founder of Writer’s Cafe, as the café has been known to champion social causes, such as hiring burn victims.

The 250 reworked menus aren’t the only change. At every table in the café, there are colourful cards designed by the MDA, with helpful explainers on what dyslexia is and how many children have it. There is even a pop quiz on the famous people who also had dyslexia, handed out to the customers while they wait for their food to arrive. On the screen at the centre of the front room, a colourful Swedish short film, Bokstavsbarn (Falling Letters) by Erik Rosenlund plays on loop. The movie narrates the story of a young boy with ADHD and dyslexia, and touches on the importance of having a supportive family.

According to Sharadha Dharmaraj, manager, Business Development, at the café, the response from the customers has been great. “When the customer walks in, we give them the specially-printed menu. We see consternation on their faces. Then we bring them the real menu and explain that this is what a child with dyslexia goes through.” Dharmaraj claims that over 10 families with dyslexic children have visited the café since it inaugurated dyslexia month on April 7.

On one side of the cash counter is a desk being manned by a special educator from the MDA during lunch hours. People waiting for their tables approach the educator with questions about how to catch dyslexia at an early stage or even to simply share their experiences. “One person told me about the difficulties that his brother, who has dyslexia, went through. By the time they understood he had dyslexia, it was too late. He said that his brother is 47 now and still hasn’t learnt to cope with it. He was glad that awareness was being spread and kids now wouldn’t have to go through what his brother did,” said Yashodhara Narayanan, a special educator with the MDA.

Another customer, Suyan Ramesh, was pleasantly surprised when he saw the efforts by the MDA and the café. Knowing a family friend who has dyslexia, Ramesh said, “Far too many things in this country aren’t talked about just because they deviate from the normal — which is why I think this project is very necessary.”

The café will also be holding a storytelling session on April 27 and a puppet show on April 20. The puppet show will be a depiction of the nurturing relationship between a student and his educator, who helps him rediscover his self-esteem. With events like these planned, the MDA and the Writer’s Cafe are chipping away at ignorance, one happy tummy at a time.