Acknowledgement is a good start, but employers can go further to ensure dyslexia is no longer discriminated against in the workplace, argues Euan Cameron.
Earlier this month, an airport engineer won the first stage of an employment tribunal where it was found his employer had refused to accept his dyslexia as a disability.
As an entrepreneur employing more than 20 people and who has struggled with dyslexia my entire life, it was disappointing to hear of this kind of attitude in the modern workplace.
In 2024, there really shouldn’t be an excuse for an employer to ignore this obligation – a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010.
Request for adjustments
The circumstances of the tribunal, which will sit again to decide whether or not the engineer was discriminated against, revolve around a training course he was required to undertake.
Dyslexia was not an option on the list of disabilities in the pre-course documentation, and the engineer said requests for special measures to enable him to complete the course were refused.
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These included a request for text to be in red, and to use his mobile phone for assistance in open book exams – which he described as a coping mechanism.
During the tribunal, the severity of the engineer’s dyslexia was also questioned, with lawyers citing the fact that “high-functioning” professionals such as doctors or lawyers able to perform their jobs were not considered disabled.
This misses the key point, however. Dyslexia is a disability and not one that anybody would wish to have. Personally, I’ve suffered embarrassment, damage to my self-esteem, and bouts of anxiety in my younger years as a consequence of being unable to easily do what so many others can without thinking – read and write.
Overcoming challenges
At one point I was told I wouldn’t make it out of high school, let alone university, and some of my worst experiences with dyslexia chime with the circumstances outlined in this case.
Exams were a recurring nightmare, and although I was given extra time, it often came with distractions, such as invigilators tidying up or chatting in the exam hall. In some cases, the extra time was overlooked or conflicted with the start of another exam, rendering it pointless.
It was an example of the bad old days when dyslexia wasn’t fully understood as it is now.
I’ve learned to live and thrive despite my dyslexia, and it’s also spurred me on in business to make hiring and the workplace more accessible for all.
As with all physical or neurological disabilities, people with dyslexia are not seeking an advantage through measures made to accommodate their needs, but an equal footing, and thankfully, they can usually find it.
There has been significant progress in understanding and accepting dyslexia in recent years, and where once it was seldom discussed in educational and work settings, now it can be talked about more openly.
Shifting conversation
It’s come so far that, rather than hide it, people with dyslexia will often signpost their dyslexia in an email signature to help others understand.
With around 10% of the UK population living with dyslexia, and approximately one in six people struggling with poor reading skills, the conversation has shifted toward acceptance and support. This broader awareness has helped create a more inclusive environment for those with dyslexia in the workplace.
Acknowledgement and support around dyslexia in the workplace is one thing, but the next step is evolving the workplace so the condition is no longer a significant factor at all.
Steps such as reducing reliance on written communication and embracing alternative mediums like audio and video are key.
This can involve using text-to-speech software for lengthy documents or replacing internal chat tools with short video messages. I fully expect to see these practices being adopted more widely as time progresses.
Normalising new approaches
At Willo, where by coincidence around 50% of our workforce are living with dyslexia, long-form documents are often converted to audio, and we don’t ask candidates in our hiring process to use a traditional CV.
Steps such as reducing reliance on written communication and embracing alternative mediums like audio and video are key.
Instead, they submit short video recordings, which alleviates the pressure associated with writing a CV or cover letter.
More broadly, most books are now available in multiple formats – written text, audio, large print, and braille – making accessibility the standard rather than the exception.
This normalisation reduces the stigma of requesting accommodation for dyslexia and fosters inclusivity. The same principles apply in the workplace.
Continuing to promote awareness and encourage people to consider the needs of others will help ensure that accommodations for those with dyslexia will become a mainstream practice, empowering everyone to participate equally in society.
I’m an optimist, and like to think examples of dyslexia being downplayed or dismissed in the workplace are the exception, rather than the rule. I believe we are far further on in our path toward acceptance of dyslexia, both in society and at work.
Ultimately, it’s up to employers and their teams to take their responsibilities on dyslexia – and disabilities in general – seriously to ensure we complete the journey.
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