Estimates vary, but in overall terms, figures tell us that around 20% of the population has some form of dyslexia. That equates to about 1 in 5 of us having difficulty with reading, writing, literacy, numeracy, skeletal control, general verbal and written communication, text-to-speech, or a combination of these difficulties.

These basic methods of communication are at the very heart of our society and our economies. They are the bedrock of how we live our lives, how we can provide for ourselves and our families, how we perform in terms of our life chances, and ultimately how happy and fulfilled we are.

Understanding the world of education and skills, of work and finding a job, and of navigating the complexities of the healthcare and welfare systems can be a traumatic and highly stressful process for people with dyslexia.

Thousands of people have been either furloughed or made redundant as a result of the huge economic impact of the Covid pandemic.

In some parts of the UK, there has been a 50% increase in the number of newly-unemployed people claiming Universal Credit from the Department of Work and Pensions. Many thousands of these are people with some form of dyslexia.

It is essential that we work together across the public and private sectors to support people who will struggle even harder to find work opportunities than others because of their inability to understand an application form, read the instructions for an interview or even claim the benefits they are entitled to online.

Many dyslexics can become homeless or suffer long-term unemployment and they can have difficulty maintaining jobs and tenancies because of the help they need to understand often complex documents and application processes.

We need a whole-life, bold new strategy, starting with early-year identification and support in primary school, followed up with intensive tuition on coping tactics and practical tools to be able to read documents via IT tools. 

We would love for you to be part of helping to build this new national framework for people with dyslexia, as these issues will be increasingly vital in a post-pandemic world with a possible further recession and shrinking of the economy, which is likely to hit people with dyslexia harder than other people in the labour market.

To respond to some of these challenges, Dyslexia Institute UK, a not-for-profit company, is running a virtual international dyslexia event on the 29th–30th of July, with global experts giving their views on how we can better support the 20% of our workforce with dyslexia. Free for teachers, SENCOs, dyslexia assessors, teaching assistants, and students.

If you are a teacher, a lecturer, a tutor, a charity, a private company, a skills provider, a housing organisation, work in education or skills, in a council, the Department of Work and Pensions, a homeless shelter, a healthcare facility, or in human resources, we would love you to come and help us build a brighter, more confident future for all of our society, including our precious friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues who can add so much to the workplace with the right support.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who is devoted to reforming the public sector and addressing homelessness, will introduce the event.

To register your interest in a free place, please make sure you book early, as there has already been a significant level of interest from the US, Australia, and Brazil.