Mike Styles dyslexia advocate

B-Side Stories

Internationally 15% of humans have dyslexia or related neurodiverse conditions. In New Zealand the government gathers no statistics on dyslexia/neurodiversity and the conditions are not mentioned in any legislation. People with dyslexia are over-represented in school dropouts, unemployment rates and in the prison population. Mike Styles is an adult literacy specialist who is calling for the New Zealand government, which only officially recognised the existence of dyslexia in 2007, to carry out an inquiry into dyslexia. He talks to Sadie Coe about why he believes that dyslexia is both an equity issue and a productivity issue and what measures could be taken to allow people with dyslexia to use and develop the positive skills that come with the condition. B-Side Stories is produced with help from Wellington Access Radio and New Zealand on Air.