The Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Dys­lexia Organisation (ADO), Ms Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nar­tey, has called for a shift from outdated myths to evidence-based understanding of dyslexia, stress­ing the need to view neurodiversity as a strength rather than a limita­tion, and to embrace inclusion as justice, not charity.Neurodiversity, she explained, refers to the range of differ­ences in brain function and behavioural traits, which should be regarded as part of normal variation in the human popula­tion.Ms Kyere-Nartey made the call at the closing of the Africa Dyslexia Conference 2025, held in Accra last Thursday under the theme, "Shifting Minds, Inspiring Action."The three-day conference brought together about 400 delegates from across Africa and beyond, including policy­makers, educators, researchers, corporate leaders, and individ­uals with lived experience of dyslexia.Sharing her personal journey, she recounted how growing up in Suhum, she was unable to read or write even her own name until the age of 17."I endured years of being called lazy and slow, of being punished for what I could not yet do.

At 30 years old, I finally learned the truth: I am dyslex­ic," she said.Her diagnosis, she noted, did not set limits on her but rather revealed her strengths and in­spired her lifelong advocacy for people facing similar challenges.She described the conference as a collective declaration that every child, learner, and individ­ual with a learning difference truly matters.The conference featured international speakers from the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and several African countries.Delegates engaged in knowl­edge-sharing, research presen­tations, and policy discussions aimed at strengthening inclusive education systems across the continent.Development partners and sponsors of the event included UNESCO, UNICEF, GIZ, the KGL Foundation, the Black Literacy Institute, TP, the OMA Group, and other corporate and educational advocates.Organisers emphasised that the true measure of the confer­ence's success would not be the inspiration drawn during the sessions but the practical outcomes that follow.These, they said, should in­clude improved teacher training, stronger educational policies, and greater opportunities for learners with dyslexia and other learning differences.Challenging delegates to action, Ms Kyere-Nartey urged each participant to commit to at least one concrete step beyond the conference halls."The real success of this conference will not be mea­sured by how inspired we feel at the end," she said, "but by the policies changed, the teachers trained, the students reached, and the futures rewritten be­cause we were here." BY CLIFF EKUFUL