October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and we challenge YOU to serve your patrons with dyslexia better. In fact, libraries are probably pretty scary places for someone who can’t read well and an empathetic staff member can make all the difference. Review the who, what, why and how on achieving Dyslexia Friendly status.

**a new dyslexia educational resource is available from William and Mary now. Check it out here!

Who: Any library staff. You do NOT need to hold an MLS/MLIS to participate in this challenge.

What: Dyslexia Friendly Librarian (Library Staff) Certification

Why: 43.5 MILLION people have dyslexia. You serve some of them. You can offer them better service and access, as well as feel good that you can!

When: Anytime!

How:

• Take the DOE dyslexia training module (about 45 minutes)
• Review 5 IDA fact sheets of your choice (about 15 minutes): https://dyslexiaida.org/fact-sheets/
• Visit and explore the Decoding Dyslexia – Virginia Facebook page (about 10 minutes) https://www.facebook.com/DecodingDyslexiaVirginia/
• View this 10 minute video: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/dyslexia-cracking-the-code/
• Participate in one of these simulations* (about 30 minutes):
  • Misunderstood Minds https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/reading.html   (includes numeracy)
  • Web Accessibility in Mind https://webaim.org/simulations/dyslexia  (does not include numeracy)
• Explore the International Dyslexia Association (IDA)’s Library

*Please note that you may need to disable pop-up blockers to access these simulations

When finished: Completion Form is linked here.  Submit your completion form to receive your certificate and button. Give a copy of your certificate to your supervisor as evidence of your professional development. Wear your button to let people know you are dyslexia friendly.

Other resources for your library, including a bibliography, are found in the Dyslexia-Friendly Libraries Resource Guide.

SEOC Dyslexia Presentation

Questions? Contact Nan Carmack (nan.carmack@lva.virginia.gov or 804-692-3792) to learn how to become designated a Dyslexia Friendly Library.