Our Story

Dyslexia in Defence began with one person's experience of service. Our founder, Symon Smith, is a British Army veteran who was diagnosed with dyslexia and spent years navigating education, training and a military career without a clear map of what support existed or how to ask for it. His journey continued as Co-Chair of the Defence Dyslexia Network, before leaving service and realising he wanted to keep supporting people both before and after their time in the military, and to make sure the Defence Dyslexia Network itself gets the recognition and support it deserves.

Much of what helped came from other people who had been through the same thing. That is the pattern this organisation is built on: practical information, shared openly, from people who understand the environment.

Read Symon's full story →

Inside Defence, the Defence Dyslexia Network grew from a small group of people comparing notes into a recognised staff network with thousands of members and hundreds of volunteer ambassadors across the military and the civil service.

That work matters, and it continues. But an internal network can only reach people who are already inside the organisation, and only for as long as they are serving.

We're grateful to the Forces Transition Group (FTG) for the work they do supporting service leavers, veterans and their families into meaningful civilian careers through free job fairs, CV support and training, and for featuring Dyslexia in Defence as one of the organisations they support.

Dyslexia in Defence exists to close that gap. It is an independent organisation, registered as Dyslexia in Defence CIC in England and Wales (company number 17285330), so that support is not tied to a single employer, a single service, or a single stage of a career.

We publish plain English guidance, run a peer community, share lived experience, and signpost people to established professional services. We do not provide clinical, legal or crisis services, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ministry of Defence or any employer.

How we are governed, funded and held to account is set out in our governance pages and our structure.