Employees share their experience with Read&Write for Work
Discover the impact of Read&Write for Work. Hear how our product users describe the inclusion tool.
In the workplace, a huge number of employees may struggle with digital text in some way. Read&Write is a powerful set of reading and writing tools that can help make a big difference. It supports people who think, work and learn differently, helping us to create a more inclusive working environment.
Below, Read&Write users describe the inclusion tool in their own words.
1. ‘Life-changing’
Taljinder Duggal, a Corporate Communications and Engagement Analyst with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, describes Read&Write as life changing. Here's why.
Before Read&Write, Taljinder’s working environment left her feeling stressed and anxious. That’s because, to take in information, she needed to be able to highlight it. She had no other way to do this than to print documents and use physical highlighters. This left her with a lot of documents to print, read, highlight and make notes on. This took up a lot of time. Keeping on top of emails, meetings and everything else throughout a busy work day was hard. It left Taljinder feeling frustrated. She began to lack confidence.
Taljinder explains;
“It’s not a nice feeling to have that kind of weight on you thinking, I don’t understand this, I don’t know how to communicate that I don’t understand…It makes you doubt yourself. You think, well why can’t I understand this like everybody else?”
Then Taljinder found Read&Write.
As you’ll hear in the video clip, Read&Write gave Taljinder back her confidence. In her words it "changed my working life for the better!".
Read&Write reduced Taljinder's stress levels. That’s because it helps her to digest digital text. For example, using Read&Write’s Highlights feature, Taljinder can highlight and pull out key information within digital documents.
That's just one way Read&Write benefits Taljinder, and the impact has been huge. There are lots of other features that support Taljinder too. Watch Taljinder's full video to learn more.
Did you know that 1 in 10 people are dyslexic, like Taljinder? Dyslexic thinkers are often creative and innovative problem-solvers. They're able to recognise patterns that others might have missed. As employers, it's our job to create working environments that empower different ways of thinking, working and learning. That way, we allow our employees to shine. With Read&Write, all employees can choose to learn and work in the style that suits them best.
2. ‘Reason I’m back to work’
Nikki Goode, Administrative Executive with Acquired Brain Injury, describes Read&Write as the reason she is back to work. Here's why.
Before Read&Write, Nikki was adjusting to life having acquired a brain injury at just 38 years old. She acquired her brain injury as a result of two brain hemorrhages - each a type of hemorrhagic stroke. At this time, she believed she would never be able to work again. She struggled to regain her physical independence, and was receiving extensive therapy to learn how to walk again. Today, Nikki suffers with cognitive implications, but with the help of the Access to Work Scheme, Nikki was able to return to her successful career.
That's because she received support, including Read&Write.
As you'll hear in the video, Nikki believes Read&Write is the reason she is back to work. She was so impressed with the tool that she sought a job at Texthelp. She joined the company a few years later.
Explaining the impact of Read&Write, Nikki says "Read&Write was a game changer for me and I know I wouldn’t be able to perform my job without it."
Speaking of its features, Nikki says they "help me to perform simple tasks like reading reports and writing emails. The simple day to day tasks that are taken for granted." That's because its features such as Text-to-Speech and Screen Masking help Nikki to maintain her focus and reduce cognitive overload. Word Prediction and Check It support Nikki when she is feeling fatigued and struggling to formulate her words.
Discover more of Nikki's story by watching her full video.
Did you know that 83% of people with a disability acquired their disability later in life - whether due to an accident, illness or genetic condition? As organisations, we must be ready to support your employees through life’s events, and be prepared to help adjust to their new way of working and living. Read&Write can be made easily available to all employees. It Integrates across any platform or device, and provides instant support.
3. A 'confidence-builder'
Deirdre Williamson, a Biomedical Scientist with a neurodiverse condition called Marfan's Phenotype, describes Read&Write as a confidence-builder. Here's why.
Before Read&Write, Deirdre was beginning to lack confidence at work. Speaking of her challenges, Deirdre explains;
"I tend to misinterpret what a lot of people say to me and sometimes find it difficult to translate information on paper...I would tend to ask people the same question over and over again, which can be quite annoying. I would have to rely on people to give me the patience, to allow me to write information down, literally in baby steps."
The impact of this led to Deirdre feeling alone in the workplace. She explains;
"I was always fearful, so it makes you like a loner. You tend to want to figure things out for yourself because you're afraid that you will irritate people by constantly asking them questions."
She also began to feel inferior to others;
"I'd see it that I didn't have the ability that everybody else had, that my intellectual ability wasn't as good as everybody else....But in fact I misunderstood that these were my strategies, that these were how I completed the duties, or how I learned, or how my intellectual ability was used, but it was just used in a different way to everybody else. But to me, I felt like I was inferior."
Read&Write helped Deirdre to realise that this wasn't the case. She just learned differently, and that was ok.
In this video clip, Deirdre shares why.
After using Read&Write Deirdre began to get her confidence back. She explains;
"Read&Write can give somebody like me the confidence to realize that how I strategize is just different to how somebody else strategizes how to do something. And it doesn't mean that my ability is lacking compared to somebody else's. It's just because it's different."
Read&Write supports Deirdre in many ways. The Dictionary feature helps her to interpret words that she's unsure about. She uses the Picture Dictionary to create prompts which help her to remember all steps she must carry out to complete a specific task. The PDF Reader allows her to highlight and collect specific text, as well as make notes within the document. This supports comprehension and memory retention.
Deirdre is employed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, who support their entire workforce of 20,000 with Read&Write. Discover more in our case study write up.
Did you know that, like Deirdre, 1 in 5 people are neurodivergent? Neurodivergent employees think in ways that are truly unique, and bring lots of benefits to their organisation. Despite this, 76% of people with a disability or neurodiverse condition do not fully disclose this at work. Being made to feel different can be a worry. As employers, we must do our best to make sure our employees feel supported and confident to bring their whole selves to work. Read&Write can help you to demonstrate your commitment to workplace inclusion. It also allows you to offer instant, discreet support to everyone, meaning no-one has to self-identify.
4. 'Important adjustment'
Colin Moloney, a UK Civil Service Governance Manager with dyslexia, describes Read&Write as an important adjustment. Here's why.
Before Read&Write, Colin was struggling in a new job role. His new role had a lot of reading and writing. At this time, Colin explains that dyslexia wasn't really recognised, and he wasn't receiving any support in the workplace. It wasn’t until he was almost fired that he was able to speak with his Line Manager who then put him in touch with Occupational Health.
That's when he discovered Read&Write.
In this short audio clip, Colin shares his experience.
During Colin's assessment, Read&Write was suggested as a key recommendation. When he started using the software, Colin explains "The issue of my writing ability went out the window because I had the important adjustment of having the software".
That was 20 years ago. Colin has been using Read&Write ever since.
Since then, Colin has been thriving in his career, having received numerous promotions. Speaking on this he says;
"I feel that Read&Write has been a substantial part of me making my promotions to where I am today."
Some of the features Colin uses include the Check It feature. It's an advanced spelling, grammar and homophone checker that helps to improve the accuracy of written work. He also uses the Text-to-Speech function to hear information read out loud.
You can hear more from Colin and his journey with Read&Write by listening to our podcast episode, "Dyslexia, the workplace & me".
Did you know that many people with dyslexia are diagnosed later in life, if diagnosed at all. In fact, whilst the official statistic is that 10% of us are dyslexic, it’s estimated that this figure is more likely to be 16%. That's why it's important that employees are supported to work in their own way, right from the start. Read&Write offers a simple, yet effective adjustment that can make a big difference.
Here's what others have to say
In this video Bradley Hyland, Analytical Assurance Manager at Network Rail, shares the value of Read&Write for him.
I'd be nowhere without Read&Write because it makes my workload at least 99.9% easier to manage. It completely super charged my efficiency. We get client briefs that are at least 5 pages long. I'd be still reading it until 5:30pm, but with Read&Write I can fly through documents with ease and get my head around the needs of my clients. It's made me a better Motion Designer and more organised at work.
And there’s 40 million other stories just like these!
Read&Write supports that many people worldwide, and we’re ready to support so many more.
Chat to us about how we can support you and your organisation.