Dyslexia Awareness Week

This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which affects millions of people all over the world. It is a life-long neurological condition which often runs in families and affects people’s abilities with reading, writing and spelling.

People with dyslexia may have difficulty processing and remembering things that they see and hear, which can have an impact on their learning. Dyslexia can also affect other areas such as memory, maths, co-ordination, time-keeping and organisational skills.

Under the Equality Act (2010), dyslexia can be classed as a disability. Dyslexia can affect children in education, adults in the workplace and situations in everyday life.

Everyone’s experience of dyslexia is different – it can range from mild to severe and can exist alongside other neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and developmental language disorder.

However, dyslexia does not lessen an individual’s intelligence or potential. Many people with dyslexia achieve great success. Many famous people are dyslexic, including Jamie Oliver, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Keira Knightley, Sir Jackie Stewart, Holly Willoughby, Jennifer Aniston and Sir Richard Branson.

People with dyslexia have many strengths including being creative and observant. They can see patterns and trends in data and they are good at problem-solving, often having an intuitive understanding of how something works.

 

Dyslexia Awareness Week.

Dyslexia Awareness Week UK runs from 6th – 12th October 2025.

The theme for this year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week is “Raise the Volume” which aims to focus on young people with dyslexia – telling their stories about the challenges they face and what they have achieved. Raise the Volume aims to ensure that their experiences are being heard in schools, families, workplaces and the wider world.

World Dyslexia Awareness Day is on 10th October 2025 and is a global initiative which aims to raise the profile of dyslexia. It is committed to increasing awareness and understanding of the condition. It reminds us of the importance of supporting those with dyslexia.

World Dyslexia Awareness Day aims to promote inclusivity, access to education and the application of effective strategies to support the learning journeys of those with dyslexia.

 

 

Supporting People with Dyslexia.

There are a number of ways you can support people with dyslexia. First, learn about the condition and how it can affect people. Share information about dyslexia via social media to raise awareness; campaign for inclusive educational practices that accommodate students’ needs; support dyslexia organisations either by donating or volunteering;  and encourage and support those with dyslexia to achieve their goals.

Here at Edinburgh Napier University, the Disability Inclusion Team are available to ensure that every student has equal access to university life. The team can help students access the support they need during their time at university. The team work across all three campuses and offer support to students with a variety of learning difficulties, disabilities, and other support needs.

There are also a number of organisations which can provide information and support, including Dyslexia Scotland, The Dyslexia Association and British Dyslexia Association.

 

Find out more:

Use LibrarySearch to find books and articles about Dyslexia.

 By Sharon McMichael 

Study Skills at the library blog