What Is Dyslexia And How Does It Fuel Our Ethical Brand’s Journey?

"As a child, I struggled with reading - to me, it was like the words were dancing on the page. Back then I didn’t know that dyslexia would one day fuel my creativity and lead to me founding I AM ME. Our ethical clothing brand celebrates differences like mine.”

Rupert Clifford-Brown, Founder of I AM ME

According to the British Dyslexia Association, 10% of the population is believed to be dyslexic. Despite this frequency, it is still often misunderstood.

World Dyslexia Day is celebrated on 8th October each year. The day was established to raise awareness, help public understanding and reduce stigma and misconceptions around dyslexia, as well as:

1. Empower
   By acknowledging dyslexia, we encourage individuals to embrace their strengths and seek support to succeed in education and life.
2. Educate
   Educating teachers, parents and others in the community leads to better-informed approaches to dyslexia.
3. Advocate
   Advocacy efforts push for improved services, resources and policies that benefit people with dyslexia.
4. Support
   Encouraging the formation of networks and communities for those affected by dyslexia fosters a sense of belonging and enables people to share experiences.
5. Include
   Promoting inclusion and understanding helps those with dyslexia to thrive in various aspects of their lives.

World Dyslexia Day is important to us because our founder, Rupert, is dyslexic. In part, his personal experience with dyslexia - how it impacted his childhood and then shaped his worldview - became the inspiration and mission of our ethical clothing brand.

Read on, to learn more about dyslexia and World Dyslexia Day…

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia primarily presents itself as difficulties with reading and writing. However, it does not only affect these areas and is actually about how information is processed.

Dyslexic people may have difficulty understanding or recalling information they see and hear, which impacts their learning. It can also affect coordination, maths, timekeeping, organisational skills and memory.

Dyslexia can range from mild to severe, initially affecting children when they are learning to read and write. Because it is a life-long condition, adults can be impacted in the workplace and during everyday life.

However, with the right support, your strength and uniqueness can really shine through.

How Does Dyslexia Affect A Person? What Are The Strengths of Dyslexia?

While many refer to dyslexia as a ‘learning difficulty’, we prefer the term ‘learning difference’.

We say ‘difference’ because it reframes learning as diverse. Although in education we have curriculums and conventional, mainstream methods for teaching, learning is rarely linear or identical from one person to the next. By using ‘learning difference’, it feels more empowering and reflective of our values.

Although you might experience difficulties with reading, writing or processing information, there are also unique gifts associated with dyslexia which include:

• Creativity
• Problem-solving
• Thinking outside-of-the-box
• Enhanced visual-spatial reasoning
• Verbal communication skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Resilience
• An entrepreneurial spirit

Everyone’s brain works differently, but these differences can lead to innovation and creativity. In fact, these positive traits have contributed to our brand and the creative processes behind the scenes.

Dyslexia’s Role in Shaping the Brand

Dyslexia has influenced Rupert’s perspective on design, marketing and the company’s philosophy of inclusivity and celebrating who we are, in all our beautiful uniqueness.

Rupert says:

“While traditional educational methods once felt like roadblocks, my dyslexia pushed me to operate creatively. Because I couldn’t rely on conventional learning processes, I became innovative to find solutions unconventionally. I reimagined things with my own logic and I developed ideas that broke the mould."

"Being dyslexic, words weren’t always my strength. But my journey has empowered me to speak up and connect with others by seeking out positivity in any situation. Every collection we release tells a story - we celebrate diversity in every garment."

I AM ME is all about inclusivity and self-acceptance - the focus on celebrating individuality stems from Rupert’s personal experience. We encourage our community to embrace their unique selves through the self-expression of fashion: our name is I AM ME and we’re proud of who we are!

It’s important to celebrate diversity and differences, whether it’s dyslexia, neurodiversity or something else. I AM ME’s clothing lines reflect our beliefs in empowering people to express their individuality.

Rupert’s problem-solving skills also led to finding creative, ethical and sustainable solutions within the leisurewear industry. Want to get involved? Check out our range of organic cotton T-shirts and hoodies with a positive message:

Women’s I AM ME cropped hoodie

Men’s I AM ME long sleeve T

Unisex WEAR IT, OWN IT, BE YOU hoodie - in burgundy, pink or grey

  

Join our Community and Spread Positivity!

"We strongly believe that clothing is a powerful tool for self-expression. Just as dyslexia has helped me find my unique strengths and my voice, we encourage everyone to embrace what makes them different. Let your clothes tell the world: 'This is who I am, and I’m proud of it.'"

Rupert

We encourage everyone to connect and empower themselves and each other by embracing our differences and joining the celebration on World Dyslexia Day.

We’d also like to take this chance to express our gratitude to our community for supporting the I AM ME mission so enthusiastically!

EXTRA RESOURCES

The British Dyslexia Association

If you’d like to be part of our community, follow our social channel:IAMMEClothingUK - Instagram

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