Dyslexia Awareness Week : Supporting Employees Beyond Awareness

Dyslexia is often associated with reading, spelling and writing difficulties. But in the workplace, its impact can be much broader.

For some employees, dyslexia can affect how they process information, organise tasks, manage their workload, communicate ideas or work under time pressure. For others, the impact may be far less visible.

And that’s important.

Because when dyslexia isn’t understood, employees can end up spending significant energy masking the difficulties they are experiencing rather than doing their best work.

Dyslexia Awareness Week is an opportunity to look beyond awareness and ask a more important question:

What are we doing to make sure employees with dyslexia can work in a way that works for them?

Dyslexia Awareness Week – supporting to raise awareness 

Dyslexia Awareness Week is an important opportunity to raise the volume on dyslexia – to start conversations, challenge misconceptions and give people space to share their experiences.

It can be a time for organisations to stop and ask: Do our people really understand dyslexia? Are employees comfortable asking for support? And are we creating a workplace where people can work effectively without having to hide or mask their differences?

But awareness shouldn’t begin and end with one week in the calendar.

For the millions of dyslexic people, the challenges,  and strengths, associated with dyslexia don’t disappear when Awareness Week is over. Neither does the need for understanding, appropriate support and inclusive ways of working.

Dyslexia Awareness Week can be a great starting point for longer-term conversations about how people experience work. It could be the opportunity to give managers the confidence to talk about neurodiversity, encourage employees to share what helps them work at their best, or look more closely at where workplace processes might be creating unnecessary barriers.

And importantly, those conversations don’t need to wait for someone to disclose dyslexia or reach a point of difficulty.

Creating a more dyslexia-inclusive workplace is about building understanding into everyday working practices – so that people don’t have to continually explain, compensate or mask in order to succeed.

Donna Stevenson, Head of Training shares her tips to raise the volume on Dyslexia for Dyslexia Awareness Week.

What can employers do to support employees with dyslexia?

There isn’t a single set of adjustments that works for every person with dyslexia. The most effective support starts with understanding what creates a barrier for that individual and what could remove it.

Dyslexia causes a person’s brain to process information differently, it’s important that organisations and managers show their understanding of the unique challenges faced by those with dyslexia. This involves offering support to create a better working environment, which is explored in further detail in our webinar with CareScribe and below:

Make communication more accessible – Think about how information is shared, not just what information is shared. Clear written instructions, accessible documents, visual information, meeting agendas and opportunities to process information before responding can all make a difference.

Create space to process information –  Not everyone processes information at the same speed. Give employees time to consider information before responding and sharing material in advance can reduce unnecessary cognitive load. This space could also include giving them time to prepare – preparation time can make people with dyslexia feel more comfortable during meetings or when speaking publicly.

Implement assistive software – There are various types of software available to assist with dyslexia and it’s potential challenges, including programmes that convert text into audible files and spell checkers.

Create support groups – Implementing ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) into the workplace allows people with neurodifferences such as dyslexia to create a safe space to discuss their experiences and challenges with like-minded colleagues.

Adapt your communication style – People with dyslexia tend to be visual or auditory thinkers, meaning it’s a good idea to adapt your communication style accordingly.

Use fonts that increase readability – Arial, Comic Sans, and Verdana are among the easiest-to-read fonts for people with dyslexia.

Learn to use the strengths of dyslexia – Too often, people focus on the limitations of dyslexia and don’t consider the strengths that come with it. For instance, many neurodivergent people can think outside the box, and companies can put this to good use.

Encourage dyslexia-friendly workstations – Different tips, supplies, tools, and objects can be used to make workstations more dyslexia-friendly.

Offer more flexibility – Flexibility allows someone to adjust the working day to accommodate their individual needs, whether it be introducing additional breaks or offering remote working opportunities.

Build understanding across the organsiation – organisation-wide training can help to raise awareness about dyslexia. The increased understanding of the neurodifference from employees and employers can make the workplace more comfortable for those with dyslexia.

And importantly – don’t wait for someone to struggle. Support shouldn’t only appear when performance starts to deteriorate. Regular conversations about what is working, what creates barriers and whether anything could make work easier can help identify adjustments before difficulties become bigger problems.