Written by Ysabella Hall, Senior Information Assistant
As a dyslexic student my university library was very important to me. Simply having access to a calm study space 24/7 made a huge difference. It’s one of the reasons I love working in UEA library now. I also love that UEA offers far more than that in terms of support for dyslexic students.
This Dyslexia awareness week, I want to highlight some ways UEA library can help Dyslexic students show their strengths. This blog post will share some basic information about dyslexia, examples of notable people who have it and some ways UEA library can support dyslexic students.
What Is Dyslexia?
Most people think of dyslexia as a difficulty of reading and writing. That’s a key component, but it’s far from the whole picture. As the British Dyslexia Association explain this on their pages about what dyslexia is and what signs one might spot in an adult, other symptoms can include difficulty telling left from right, confusion when given several instructions at once, or difficulty organising thoughts on paper.
These difficulties usually come with strengths and successful dyslexic people are in every field. On our own Norwich research park, Professor Graham Moore the current director of the John Innes Centre on the research park has been very open about his Dyslexia.
Dyslexia does not guarantee a lifelong dislike of reading and writing. Benjamin Zephaniah is a particularly noteworthy example of a brilliant writer with Dyslexia. As is Dean Atta who’s book The Black Flamingo was featured on our 2024 pride month book display.
How can the Library Support Dyslexic Students?
Dyslexia is not just a gradient it’s a full spectrum; different symptoms impact different dyslexic people in different ways. That means that all people with dyslexia will need different types of support.
Digital Resources
I have spoken to several dyslexic students who much prefer to use a screen reader. If you would like to use one, some which UEA library can support you with include:
Another way to read with your ears is by using Sensus. This is an online service which can convert documents into a range of different formats, including MP3s.
Dyslexic students may also benefit from RNIB bookshare which offers many books in accessible electronic formats.
A lot of Dyslexic people, including me, find it easier to read text on a non-white background. I recently started using Color Veil, an app allows you to change the colour of your entire screen. This is much more useful than the browser extensions I used before. It’s already on library computers. You can access it on your personal device by contacting IT.
Physical Resources
For those prefer to read from hard copies of texts, the library has a coloured overlays available at the desk. We also have a printer with cream “buff” coloured paper in the IT suite on floor 0.
Some Dyslexic people struggle with shelf reading. If you are struggling to find a book between 8am and 6pm on a weekday, please feel free to speak to one of the Senior Information Assistants at the helpdesk. We are always happy to help you find a book. We can also collect a book for you, just put some details into this form.
What Else?
UEA library is for everyone. We are here to help students get access to the information you need. If you are dyslexic and need support accessing the resources you need, please reach out to us, we are here to help.
