Anonymous, (she/her), UK.

Living and working in academia with dyslexia is a challenge.

How people see you and judge you for not doing, seeing and thinking in a normative way is endless…

Living and working in academia while black, having dyslexia all the while still being a woman is a challenge as you have the intersectional judgements and acts of prejudice, with the added voice of parents that instilled in you that you need to be 10 times more skilled than your white counterparts – your life experiences confirm that this is true by the way. This is a very heavy burden to carry… Oftentimes I feel vulnerable and vulnerability emanate from how people behave towards you, what is said to you and how I do, need and process things.

Vulnerability defines as ‘exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally (someone) in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect or (something) liable to higher penalties, either by convention or through having won one game towards a rubber.’

Why do I continue to work and try to build a career in a sector that makes me vulnerable?That, for the most part, presents to me as being somewhere I do not belong? Because I’m good at it.

I see and help others like me or different in many other ways and that makes us vulnerable. I use my vulnerabilities as a mechanism – a frame and cannon to illustrate to my students and fellow peers that they are all unique too – what if there is no normal? In our uniqueness, we can build, change and impact the world in some way. The saddest thing is that students are the most receptive to this line of thinking and I often witness students blossom in knowing that within ‘our’ space that they are all unique. But, what does it mean when my peers build walls and masks that means often we can’t reach each other with the one thing we are all supposed to have in common… humanity? (considering) human beings collectively (benevolence).