Unionlearn, the education arm of the TUC, is launching a campaign to help employers understand more about dyslexia.
Events and assessments designed to help make workplaces more dyslexia friendly will take place during Dyslexia Awareness Week.
An online survey carried out by Unionlearn found that over half of their learning support representatives said workers with a learning disability had come across barriers while being trained for their job role.
Eighty per cent of representatives said they were aware of colleagues and workmates who had dyslexia, but almost two thirds had received no training in how to support them.
One representative said: “Often dyslexia isn’t recognised for what it is. Managers seem to think that it is purely a difficulty with reading, when it can also lead to organisational difficulties.”
A series of documents will be provided during the campaign to help negotiate dyslexia-friendly polices with managers and HR staff, and there will be an information toolkit available online.
The British Dyslexia Association estimates that ten per cent of the population are affected by dyslexia and research has found that more than 50 per cent of them keep it a secret.
The awareness week runs from October 31- November 6 and there are lots of events going on around the country to celebrate individual achievements, and encourage nationwide understanding.
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