Fine, if you're dyslexic then we'll cut you some slack on spelling. Or if you're foreign and don't speak English too good. In either of these cases, communication is what's important. But the problem is people who should know better coming up with basic errors in language - teachers (particularly English teachers), newspaper reporters, etc. In these cases, a high standard of language skills is essential and should be a prerequisite to getting the job.

I'm afraid that does mean that a dyslexic person is unlikely to make a good news reporter from my point of view, in the same way that a blind person or a mute is unlikely to be very good as a sports commentator. But that's just a case of focussing on what skills you do have - I have no talent at all in drawing, for instance, so I shouldn't be allowed near a job as a graphic artist! If you like, that's a disability of my brain which makes me incapable of it, but it doesn't affect my abilities with other things like guitar.

I'm intrigued about your dyslexic son being good at programming, Gervase - I'd thought dyslexia was a kind of problem with the concept of things in sequence, particularly words and letters. Given that programming requires just that (a sequence of events - do this, then do that), and also requires strict spelling and structure rules for the programming language, it's kind of interesting. Good on him, anyway.

Grab.