8 Important Reasons Why We Still Need a Dyslexia Awareness Month
It’s 2023, and millions of people have woken up to the truth about dyslexia and the fantastic things that dyslexic people can do.
So… do we still need a dedicated awareness month?
When you look back at where we were even just a few decades ago, it’s increasingly evident that the world has changed drastically for the better for dyslexic people in work and in education.
In so many countries, we’ve managed to break down a considerable number of the barriers that historically have kept people with literacy differences out of the world of work, gated from academic achievement, and we’re so much more comfortable talking about neurodiversity than ever before.
All told, we’re part of a far more accessible world than we used to be. So, looking back at how far we’ve come… do we still need Dyslexia Awareness Month this year?
What is Dyslexia Awareness Month?
October is notable for a couple of things:
Pumpkin Spice Lattes come back
Halloween parties
Halloween costumes
You’re legally allowed to dig your favourite knitwear out of the wardrobe again
It’s Dyslexia Awareness Month!
Dyslexia Awareness Month happens every October. It’s actually part of a whole landscape of dyslexia initiatives that happen at this point in the year, such as Dyslexia Awareness Week and World Dyslexia Day. It’s also the time of year that we celebrate Go Red For Dyslexia, a global campaign that runs throughout Dyslexia Awareness Month all about changing the way people see dyslexia.
The first official Dyslexia Awareness Month was held in the UK in 2002 and was relatively small, with individual communities and small-scale fundraising by those in the know. Since then, it’s grown every year to the degree that we see international recognition and A-list celebrities getting involved with raising awareness.
But is it still important in an age where we’ve seen so much positive change already?
We think so. Here’s why:
8 reasons why we do still need a dedicated Dyslexia Awareness
Month actually…
1. It’s a yearly reminder of our progress.
It’s been 21 years since the first dyslexia awareness month in October 2002, and it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come in creating a more accessible future for our learners and colleagues with dyslexia since then. Having a dedicated point in the year where we’re encouraged to look back as well as look forward allows us to see exactly what our efforts in raising awareness have done… and gives us some idea about what we can hope to achieve going forward. A yearly event helps us stick to it, stay motivated, and realise that our actions have meaning.
2. It also means we can’t let progress slip!
It’s also a good opportunity to analyse the progress that we’ve made on a broader scale and set some goals about where we’d like to be. A decade ago, many businesses were struggling to get to grips with dyslexic talent in the workplace. This year, thousands more have embraced the amazing things that our dyslexic co-workers can do and are building a stronger working world together. But where do we want to be ten years from now – and what targets can we set ourselves to make sure that the action we take results in real-world change for neurodivergent individuals?
3. Yearly events mean more exposure, so more people thinking about dyslexia!
If you or somebody in your family seems to struggle with reading, dyslexia isn’t always the first thought on your mind. It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the idea that it’s simply a case of poor attention to detail, or even that reading just isn’t for you. But the more cumulative attention we can draw to dyslexia and the symptoms that may indicate it, the more people all over the world get informed, consider it as a possibility, and seek a diagnosis. That’s why a Dyslexia Awareness Month that happens every year is so important!
4. We can bring the whole community together to share knowledge and make a difference.
Where would we be without our dyslexia community? Annual awareness events like Dyslexia Awareness Month set aside focus time for us to connect with our peers and work together towards shared goals that otherwise might have fallen by the wayside. Life gets busy and having an allocated period to focus our attention means that we’re all on the same page at the same time to collaborate.
5. Yearly themes and focuses allow us to create a more diverse and inclusive movement.
It’s easy for movements as important as Dyslexia Awareness Month to get a little homogenous in their focuses. When we’re talking about dyslexia support and literacy, the stakes are so high that we often focus on these above all else and this can marginalise the experiences of smaller elements of the movement. Having a yearly event allows us the opportunity to focus on different parts of the dyslexic experience annually, amplify the voices and experiences of different parts of the movement, and evolve the movement toward greater inclusivity.
6. Dyslexia Awareness Month makes it easier to reach older people with dyslexia.
Because Dyslexia Awareness Month is a time when the world at large is experiencing a greater focus on dyslexia, it means that the movement expands offline too, into ‘old media’ (TV, press and radio) exposure, community events, and word-of-mouth conversation. In 2023, the majority of social awareness initiatives focus on online activities as we spend so much of our lives on the internet, and this can isolate older people who haven’t taken to the internet to the same degree. Older people with dyslexia (and undiagnosed dyslexia) are one of the demographics that receive the least support and attention, and it’s vital that we’re opening the door for them in the conversations that we’re having about dyslexia, literacy and support.
7. It also leads to an uptick in concurrent awareness events, which helps everyone!
Dyslexia isn’t the only thriving community in the global neurodiversity movement. When one group raises awareness of neurodiversity and different ways of learning and thinking, all the others can benefit too. Raising the profile of neurodiversity as a whole means that other parts of the movement gain increased attention, and more and more people can learn and listen. That’s why it’s so important that we get behind other neurodiversity events like Dyspraxia Awareness Week and ADHD Awareness Month in October, Dyscalculia Awareness Day in March, and Autism Acceptance Week in April.
8. And because despite how far we’ve come, we’ve still got a way to go.
As much as we can say that we’ve come a long way when it comes to society accepting and supporting dyslexia, we’ve still got a lot to do. Every day, learners struggle in class due to undiagnosed or under-supported dyslexia. Every day, people in the workplace and broader society find that they’re surrounded by a literacy barrier that’s stopping them from living their lives in the way that they’d like to – whether that’s being gated from opportunities or simply not having a comfortable experience consuming a piece of media. The stigma’s still there, even if it’s changed in size and form over the past two decades.
Advocacy and awareness are two of the most important tools in our arsenal when it comes to creating positive change, and there are people all over the world who could still benefit from a more positive and supportive attitude surrounding dyslexia.
That’s why we still need a Dyslexia Awareness Month: we still have change to make and work to do, from personal victories to a worldwide sea change all about literacy and learning.
Why are Scanning Pens Going Red for Dyslexia this
Dyslexia Awareness Month?
You might have noticed on social media that we’ve switched out our traditional Scanning Pens blues for a fun red version of our logo. We’re not just getting into the Christmas spirit early: here’s what that’s all about…
Go Red for Dyslexia is a global campaign that runs throughout Dyslexia Awareness Month in October. It’s focused on changing the narrative for people living with dyslexia and related low literacy, as well as amplifying dyslexic voices and championing the fantastic achievements of dyslexic people all over the world. We’re supporting Go Red for Dyslexia this Dyslexia Awareness Month because we want to end the stigma and support dyslexic individuals toward a more empowered and understood future.
Why do we go red, though?
Red is a colour that most dyslexic people are pretty familiar with...
It’s the colour that’s used to highlight mistakes when we’re still in education
It’s the colour we’re used to seeing denote danger
And it’s also a colour that we associate with stop signs or warnings – things that impede forward motion.
Go Red for Dyslexia is about taking back the colour red as something to be proud of, and something that unites dyslexic people everywhere. The movement wants to re-contextualise red, and make it something that’s ours as a neurodiversity community, instead of a colour that historically might have brought us down or made us feel alone.
That’s why so many of us wear red with pride, recolour our business logos, organise events and even light local buildings up red in October: it’s all about raising the profile of dyslexia and showing the world that our differences are something to be celebrated.
You can find out more about how you can Go Red this October at www.GoRedForDyslexia.org/get-involved.