Dyslexia and me: ‘Don’t let your differences stop you’

I became an RCN steward five years ago after being a student ambassador, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Truthfully, I became a steward because I was bullied in my placement, and my career as a nurse nearly ended before it started.

I didn’t want anyone else to be treated that way, and I wanted to help colleagues through difficult periods. It’s extremely challenging, but I absolutely love being a steward, and I want to encourage anyone who is considering taking on a more active role in their workplace to go for it – regardless of any limitations you feel you may have.

All my way through school, I struggled with spelling. I thought I was stupid; dyslexia was never mentioned. I did my access to nursing diploma, but my dyslexia wasn’t picked up there either. And then I went to university and in my second year my tutor said to me, “what’s in your head isn’t coming across on paper”.

Dyslexia isn't just about struggling to spell, it can affect your life in a number of ways

She was right. She suggested I be assessed for dyslexia, and that’s how I received my diagnosis in my late 30s. It made so much sense to me, I would struggle to concentrate during lectures and keep up with writing notes and would be distracted by noises outside of the class, which are traits of being dyslexic.

Dyslexia isn’t just about struggling to spell – it can affect your life in a number of different ways, from finding it hard to focus or plan, to difficulty telling your left from right and issues with retaining information. I’ve worked with my employer to make some reasonable adjustments to make some of those difficult moments just a little bit easier.

For example, I have a pen that while you make notes on paper, sends a digital version to your computer, so you don’t need to write up handwritten notes. I also use voice-to-text software, that turns spoken word into digital notes. I’ve found having a bigger monitor and a wider laptop screen can support me with using large fonts so I can concentrate better when there are words on a screen, and I also have specific noise-cancelling headphones that I use if I’m in a loud environment, which can often distract me. 

The hardest part of my steward work is when I have to verbally express something I’ve written down. However, the more I do it, the better I get. I find using a ruler to keep track of where I am on a page really helps, too.

I think a lot of the challenges with dyslexia often come from a place of low self-esteem or lack of confidence, and to tackle this I’m doing a one-on-one confidence workshop through Access to Work, which will equip me with strategies to manage tricky situations. There’s a lot of help out there for people like me.

The more people see themselves reflected in work and society, the more comfortable and confident they will become

For anyone who is considering being a rep – especially if they have learning differences or are neurodiverse – I say, go for it. You can offer a different perspective on things. Don’t ever let your differences stop you from doing what you want to achieve. You are valuable. Becoming a rep is the best thing I’ve done.

Having representation is important too. The more people see themselves reflected in work and society, the more comfortable and confident they will become. So, go for it: you might encourage someone like you to do more.