If you’re a person with dyslexia and had assistive technology you will have had at some point a scan pen. In this episode we meet the Founder and CEO of Scanning pens and Empowering Technology Group, Jack Churchill OBE.
Jack’s story is not unlike most people’s stories who have dyslexia. During the school years, Jack felt that dyslexia was holding him back from keeping up with his peers. It was a relief when, at 14 Years Old, Jack got assessed and diagnosed with Dyslexia so that he could access all the support to level the playing field so that he could start to flourish.
After losing his first job during the dot.com bubble burst in the late 1990’s, Jack and his university friend Toby started what became the Scanning Pen business.
After first discovering a basic version of a text to audio pen, Jack instantly saw the benefits of this technology for people with Dyslexia. Today, after a lot of hard work, the technology has developed and there are many varieties of Scanning Pens including pens which have been approved to be used in exams in the UK.
Scanning Pens is only a game changer for many people in the UK but it is exported across the world. In 2023, Jack and his business partner were presented with an OBE or ‘services to international trade, and to the dyslexia, and special educational needs and disabilities community’.
In this episode you get to hear how Scanning Pens started, how they’ve developed over the years, the variety of pens which are available, and what the future looks like for Assistive Tech.
Dyslexic Strength:
- Big Picture Thinking
- Connecting the Dots
Dyslexic Hack:
- Using AI Chatbot for reading and drafting emails
Key Topics:
- Struggling with dyslexia at school
- Finding support when diagnosed
- The beginnings of the Scanning Pen
- The Development of Scanning Pens and
- The future for Scanning Pens
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