Author | Poet | TEDx Presenter
Tiffany Sunday is a key presenter at this year’s Region One Dyslexia Conference on Friday, April 22, 2022. She will be sharing with students the link between dyslexia and entrepreneurship and innovation, and how many of the challenges encountered during school offer the foundation for business ownership.
The presentation is based on Tiffany’s 2015 TEDx Talk – Dyslexia 2:0: The Gift of Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Mind.
When I wrote Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge in 2015, companies had yet to embrace inclusion for neurodiverse individuals. The same year, I gave a TEDx Talk about the Gift of Dyslexia. Somewhere between 2015 and 2017, the neurodiversity and inclusion movement gained traction. I received multiple speaking requests and secured corporate sponsorships.
In 2017, It seems like the world has finally realized the benefits and advantages of individuals who have dyslexia and think differently. Richard Branson launched Made by Dyslexia and companies were promoting their inclusion programs.
With so much momentum I hope companies continue to promote inclusion and how adults with dyslexia can provide insight for problem solving and innovation. Companies must be willing to go outside the HR box and hire neurodiverse individuals who think differently.
Today, dozens of groups, individuals, and companies share information and build an awareness far beyond what many I thought was possible six years ago. When I was a child in school, I could never imagine a world where dyslexia is a positive trait. Now, we are educating children and others about the competitive advantages and thinking benefits of dyslexia.
When I wrote, Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge, I never thought the opening quote in the book would be recognized and requoted by so many organizations, universities, researchers, and fellow authors. I am humbled by the attention and am glad the quote continues to inspire individuals around the world.
In 2018, I wrote How Dyslexics Will Rule the Future. The book’s purpose is to provide companies and HR departments with checklists and onboarding ideas and strategies that were helpful for individuals with dyslexia. But, most importantly, I wanted to offer fellow professionals with dyslexia a resource book they could use for work and share with others.
I have always believed we (neurodiverse) individuals are here for a reason. Our unique way of viewing the world, how we solve problems, use our creativity and differences to transform ideas into reality is our greatest gift to humanity.
My Quote From Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge
“We are the visionaries, inventors, and artists. We think differently, see the world differently, and solve problems differently. It is from these differences that the dyslexic brain derives its brilliance.”