Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025: Raise the Volume

This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025, and this year’s theme – “Raise the Volume” – is all about amplifying the voices of young people with dyslexia. It’s about hearing their stories, celebrating their strengths, and creating spaces where their differences are recognised, understood, and supported.

At Words First, we work with many incredible young people with dyslexia who remind us every day that difference is not a deficit. Dyslexia is not about what a person can’t do – it’s about how they think, learn, and create differently.

This week, we’re joining the call to raise the volume on awareness and understanding by shining a light on some inspiring people who have faced their own dyslexia journeys – and achieved extraordinary things.

Famous People Who Have Raised Their Voices

Richard Branson – The founder of the Virgin Group has spoken openly about leaving school at 16 and struggling with traditional learning. He credits dyslexia for helping him think creatively and take bold business risks that others might avoid.

“Dyslexia should be celebrated. It’s a different way of seeing the world – not a disadvantage.”

Steven Spielberg – The award-winning director of E.T., Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until he was 60. Spielberg has said that storytelling became his way to communicate when reading and writing were a challenge.

“Movies are my reading. They’re my way of telling stories.”

Cher – The iconic singer and actor has dyslexia and ADHD. She’s spoken about how school was a real struggle, but her creativity, performance skills, and determination helped her find success on her own terms.

Jamie Oliver – The world-renowned chef and campaigner has spoken candidly about leaving school without strong reading or writing skills. Diagnosed with dyslexia later in life, Jamie has shared that he didn’t read his first book until he was 38. He credits his creativity in the kitchen and his ability to connect with people as direct strengths of his dyslexic mind.

“I genuinely think that dyslexia has helped me. I look at things differently, and that’s probably why I’ve been able to build a career doing what I love.”

Maggie Aderin-Pocock – The British space scientist and presenter of The Sky at Night has dyslexia and says that visual learning strategies helped her succeed in science. She is passionate about encouraging young people to see dyslexia as a strength, not a setback.

“Dyslexia doesn’t mean you can’t achieve. It just means you might take a different route – and that’s okay.”

Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tom Holland have also spoken about the challenges of growing up with dyslexia – from struggling with reading scripts to overcoming classroom frustration. Today, they use their platforms to show young people that dyslexia is not a barrier to success.

What “Raising the Volume” Means to Us

For us at Words First, raising the volume means ensuring that children and young people with dyslexia:

• Have access to the right support in school and at home
• Feel confident using their voice to share what they need
• Are surrounded by adults who understand their strengths as well as their struggles
• Are empowered to see their neurodiversity as something that makes them unique

Mary Thompson, Clinical Specialist for Dyslexia at Words First, shares:

“When we truly listen to children with dyslexia, we start to see the world through their eyes – full of patterns, creativity, and possibility. Supporting them isn’t about fixing what’s ‘wrong’; it’s about unlocking what’s already brilliant.”

This week, and every week, let’s listen to their stories, celebrate their creativity, and keep challenging outdated perceptions about dyslexia.

Because when we raise the volume together, we make sure every voice is heard.

About Mary Thompson

Mary Thompson is a Speech and Language Therapist and Clinical Specialist for Dyslexia at Words First.

Mary qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist from City University in 2015, two years after completing her BSc in Psychology at Coventry University. She joined Words First in November 2015 as a Newly Qualified Therapist, gaining experience across a range of settings including mainstream primary and secondary schools and the Kids First Clinic.

Her passion for literacy led her to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Literacy and Language at Birmingham University in 2017, qualifying as a Specialist Teacher and Diagnostic Assessor.

In her current role, Mary supports the Words First team to develop their understanding of dyslexia and literacy needs, facilitating case discussions and sharing best practice. She also carries out full diagnostic dyslexia assessments and supports students in schools to build their literacy skills and confidence.

“There is no greater reward than seeing a student’s face light up when they successfully use a strategy or gain confidence in their abilities.”