The 2025 Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship: Empowering a Movement for Change Across Africa

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The 2025 Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship: Empowering a Movement for Change Across Africa

In a step towards inclusion and educational equity, the Africa Dyslexia Organization has launched its second Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship Program, bringing together a diverse cohort of 246 changemakers from 35 African countries. These individuals are on a mission to dismantle barriers, challenge stigma, and champion opportunities for people with dyslexia, a group that is often overlooked yet holds incredible potential.

Dyslexia in Africa: The Untold Story

In Africa, where awareness and resources for learning disabilities remain limited, dyslexia often goes undiagnosed or misunderstood. This lack of recognition denies millions of children and adults the support they need to thrive. The Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship seeks to address this gap by equipping leaders with the tools to transform their communities and bring visibility to the challenges faced by individuals with learning differences.

As a dyslexic herself, Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey, Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Dyslexia Organization, understands the urgency of this mission. “I struggled to read and write until I was 17, not because I was lazy or unintelligent, but because no one understood I was dyslexic. This fellowship is about ensuring no one else has to face that isolation,” says Kyere-Nartey.

The 2025 Cohort: A Force for Inclusion

The newly inducted fellows represent an unprecedented pan-African collaboration. Coming from varied professional backgrounds, teachers, entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, policy advocates, and more, they share a singular vision: to create a future where every child, regardless of their learning differences, can succeed.

The program empowers these advocates with intensive training in multi-sensory teaching methods, community mobilization, and policy advocacy. Fellows will return to their communities equipped to lead initiatives that:

  • Foster inclusive education through teacher training and school reform.
  • Advocate for neurodiverse-friendly policies in workplaces and institutions.
  • Build support networks for families of children with dyslexia.

These efforts aim to break the cycle of marginalization that has held back generations of neurodiverse individuals in Africa.

A Movement Rooted in Grassroots Leadership

What sets the Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship apart is its emphasis on grassroots change. This is not a top-down initiative but a movement driven by those who live and work in the communities they seek to transform. By investing in local leaders, the fellowship ensures that its impact is sustainable and far-reaching.

“Our fellows are not just advocates, they are architects of change,” says Kyere-Nartey. “They are building a world where dyslexia is not a barrier but a strength.”

The 2025 Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship is not just a story about Africa, it is a global call to action. In a world where 1 in 5 people are affected by dyslexia, this program offers a blueprint for addressing learning differences through community empowerment, education, and policy reform.

The initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), reinforcing the idea that inclusion is central to sustainable development.

As the 2025 cohort embarks on this journey, the Africa Dyslexia Organization is calling on governments, businesses, and civil society to support this transformative work. By fostering partnerships and expanding resources, we can ensure that every child, whether in a bustling city or a remote village has access to the tools they need to succeed.

The Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship is more than a program, it is a movement to rewrite the narrative of dyslexia in Africa. It is a story of resilience, innovation, and the belief that every individual has the potential to thrive when given the opportunity.

Join us in celebrating the 2025 cohort of the Dyslexia Advocates Fellowship and in building a future where learning differences are understood, accepted, and celebrated.

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    WHO ARE YOU TO THE CHILD ?

    The Adult Reading History Questionnaire (ARHQ) is a screening tool designed to measure risk of reading disability (i.e. dyslexia) in adults (Lefly & Pennington, 2000), but it can also help measure risk in children, especially before school age. Reading disability is highly heritable: about 30-60% percent of children born to a dyslexic parent will develop dyslexia. Thus, one way to estimate risk of reading disability in preschool children is to evaluate parents’ own reading history. The following questionnaire was developed using parents’ reports of their own reading history as well as actual testing of their children’s reading skills. If a parent scores high on the ARHQ, their child has a higher risk of developing a reading disability. It is important to note that the ARHQ is only a screener and does not constitute a formal evaluation or diagnosis of either the parent or the child. If you have concerns about your child’s reading progress, we recommend that you contact your child’s school, a licensed child psychologist, or your child’s primary care physician about pursuing a more thorough evaluation to investigate the nature of these concerns.

    Father
    Mother

    The Colorado Learning Disabilities Questionnaire – Reading Subscale (CLDQ-R) is a screening tool designed to measure risk of reading disability (i.e. dyslexia) in school-age children (Willcutt, Boada, Riddle, Chhabildas, DeFries & Pennington, 2011). Normative scores for this questionnaire were developed based on parent-reports of their 6-18 year-old children, as well as actual reading testing of these children. Willcutt, et al. (2011) found that the CLDQ-R is reliable and valid. It is important to note that the CLDQ-R is only a screener and does not constitute a formal evaluation or diagnosis. If you have concerns about your child’s reading progress, we recommend that you contact your child’s school, a licensed child psychologist, or your child’s primary care physician about pursuing a more thorough evaluation to investigate the nature of these concerns. For more information about the symptoms, causes and treatment of reading disability (dyslexia), please visit the International Dyslexia Association

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    WHAT'S YOUR GENDER?

    The Adult Reading History Questionnaire (ARHQ) is a self-report screening tool designed to measure risk of reading disability (i.e. dyslexia) in adults (Lefly & Pennington, 2000). The ARHQ asks adults about their own reading history and current reading habits in order to estimate the risk that they may have a reading disability. Normative scores are based on actual testing, and Lefly & Pennington (2000) found that the ARHQ is reliable and valid. It is important to note that the ARHQ is only a screener and does not constitute a formal evaluation or diagnosis. If you have concerns about your reading skills, we recommend that you contact a licensed psychologist or your primary care physician about pursuing a more thorough evaluation to investigate the nature of these concerns.

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    Female