Throughout my life I have been told directly and indirectly that dyslexia is found in particular people... [In fact] dyslexia can be found in someone like me. It isn't just 'okay' but something to be proud of. This book has been written because I want people to know that dyslexia can be found in people of every colour, creed, or circumstance. In this book, rising star entrepreneur Onyinye Udokporo shares her story of growing up dyslexic in a society where neurodivergence was always presented as a white male issue. Onyinye discusses her experience of being diagnosed at 11 years old, starting a business the following year, gaining a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school and going on to complete two degrees by the age of 22, while also being honest about the difficulties she faced throughout including with bullying and anxiety. She shares the tips she picked up over the years for thriving with dyslexia and the strategies she used to overcome her difficulties in reading and writing well, staying organised and speaking with confidence. Illuminating wider issues of systemic racism in the educational sector and providing a timely reminder that dyslexia can be found in any community and culture, this is an empowering story of surviving and thriving in the face of adversity.
Onyinye Udokporo grew up in Edmonton in London and was diagnosed with dyslexia aged 11 when she won a scholarship to a private school in West Sussex. She has tutored other young people since she herself was 12 and in 2020 was awarded as one of the top 10 black students in the UK (ranked no.7) by Rare Recruitment in partnership with University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, and as one of the top 150 Future Leaders by Powerful Media in partnership with HSBC and the University of Oxford.
Survival guide on being young and dyslexic by inspiring rising star entrepreneur and speaker Onyinye Udokporo, combining her own personal story with political and cultural insights, and practical tips and advice
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this open, honest and personal account of dyslexia at different ages and levels of education. I related to many of the strategies and advice suggested. I think this book captures the importance of inclusivity and diverse role models for anyone with dyslexia. -- Alais Winton, author of Fun Games and Activities for Children with Dyslexia This book is enriched with so many golden nuggets and tips, but most importantly for me it's a book where I see someone who looks like and can identify with as a black woman who is also dyslexic. This book highlights for me why representation matters, in being able to see ourselves in books, when talking about self-identity, a sense of belonging and breaking barriers of stigma of dyslexia from a cultural perspective. I wish I had a book like this in my teens as a young black girl, to inspire me. As well as providing, empowerment and guidance along the way. Onyinye thank you, for your openness and vulnerability in this book by sharing your highs and lows, it makes this book, so real and authentic as well as touching on wellbeing and self-care within the dyslexic journey. The books touches on equity verse equality, intersectionality, by talking about culture, class, education, gender, the environment and how this interacts and can impacts one's life. A common theme for me throughout the book is about navigating the education system and the importance of support from family, friends and educators. In my 30 years working in the education sector as an educator, cultural literacy is missing from the table in our schools and university libraries. Books like this need to be embedded in our education system towards true inclusion as well as adding diversity into neurodiversity. -- Marcia Brissett-Bailey, Top 50 Influential Neurodivergent Women 2022; author, dyslexic, neurodiversity advocate and champion, Observer of the BDA Executive Board and co-founder of the BDA Cultural Perspective Committee (Chair) "You can't be what you can't see", was perhaps Onyinye's biggest barrier in life. This book shows how this barrier, present in other people's minds and the systems they created were overcome. Onyinye's resilience and neurodivergent strengths, and her parents and others that valued her for those gifts, allowed her to smash those barriers and with this book and her enterprise help many others who still to this day face the same. With our focus on accessibility in our technology, to empower every person to achieve more, it is truly rewarding to see how this underpinned Onyinye's strength to allow her to be her true best self and light the path for others so that they can see hope and a future. -- Michael Vermeersch, Accessibility Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft
