FROM a simple hand-shake to doing up a buckle and using a pair of scissors, there is no denying everyday tasks can be challenging for left-handed people.

International Left Handers Day is celebrated on Saturday 13 August and aims to raise an awareness of the challenges left-handed people face in the right-hand dominated world.

Fifteen-year-old Tea Gardens left-hander Katie Nolan-Slattery said her biggest challenge was handwriting.

“Writing left-handed is frustrating, the ink stains the side of your hand when you write,” she said.

“The only way to avoid smudging is to write on a slant, which makes it very untidy.”

Katie also said playing the guitar was frustrating as the strings needed to be put on in reverse order for left handers.

Left-handed University student Madison Murrell from Bulahdelah said everything was designed for right-handed people making everyday tasks difficult.

“University lecture desks are made for right-handers meaning you need to reach to the opposite side which gives you very little space to work,” she said.

“Writing in binder folders and spiral notebooks is impossible for left-handers without removing the pages first.”

Ms Murrell told News of the Area she had to learn to play hockey right-handed as she was not permitted to participate in the team sport left-handed for safety reasons.

Other challenges faced by left-handers include using simple kitchen utensils such as can openers and vegetable peelers and cutting a straight line using right-handed scissors.

Research shows most children have a preference for using one hand by the age of around 18 months, and are definitely right or left-handed by the age of three.

Although there is no definitive answer on why some people are left handed, the Left Handers Club suggests hand preference is linked to genetics.

According to the Left Handers Club, the left side of the brain controls the right-hand side of the body and vice-versa which is why they say, “Only left-handers are in their right minds.”

It is estimated that 10 percent of the world’s population is left-handed.

Well-known Australian left-handers include cricketer Allan Border, actress Nicole Kidman and tennis great Rod Laver.