Recent research indicates three million adults, or one in five of the working-age population, have been identified as having low literacy and/or numeracy skills (OECD, 2017). 

1 in 5 Australians can at most complete very simple reading or mathematical tasks, such as reading brief texts on familiar topics or understanding basic percentages (OECD, 2017).

Even more disturbing, out of every 10 Australian adults, two or three are officially below the literacy levels required to meet all the complex demands of modern work and life (OECD, 2017).

As you’d expect, these sorts of literacy and numeracy problems are concentrated in the poorer members of our society. After all, if you struggle to fill in a job application or check that your payslip is accurate it’s going to be harder for you to get ahead.

This is where Dear Dyslexic wants to help. With our tools, tips and templates we are aiming to help those Australians who have a hard time with their literacy and numeracy skills, especially in the critical years where you might be thinking of entering the workforce or doing some extra study.

If you’re an adult who has dyslexia, you know that work can be extra stressful for you. Things that everyone finds difficult, like moving from one job to the next, are made extra tricky for you. Do you tell your employer about your difficulties? Can you ask for help? How do you progress, would you ever be considered for promotion? For these reasons and others, many adults with dyslexia find themselves unemployed, under-employed or under-utilised in terms of the skills you can offer.

This article Dyslexic difficulties in the workplace by Sylvia Moody is also a useful resource.

Other useful pages:

• Strategies for Employees with learning disabilities
• Strategies to achieve in the workplace
• Tips for Employers
• Disclosure in the workplace
• What is Assistive Technology
• Dear Dyslexic Training for the workplace