The proportion of dyslexic university students in the UK has experienced a noticeable rise in recent times, reaching approximately 5%. However, there still exists a significant gap in academic achievement for dyslexic students, with around 40% attaining a 2:1 or higher, in contrast to the 52% of non-dyslexic students. Given that dyslexia is not linked to intelligence, why does this gap persist?

The answer lies in outdated attitudes among university staff towards dyslexia that are still prevalent. Many perceive it as a fictitious condition formulated by wealthy "helicopter parents" to gain an unfair advantage for their children when admitted to university. The reality is that dyslexia is a valid medical diagnosis rooted in an inability to connect spoken sounds with written words. Even where accepted, the efforts made to address dyslexia are often insufficient to level the playing field.

Most universities only afford dyslexic students extended time (roughly 25%) to finish their tests and mark their work "for content." This implies that markers are advised not to penalize dyslexic students for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. These accommodations are helpful, but do not account for the many commonplace tasks dyslexic students find a challenge such as reading, spelling, note-taking, organizing essays, time management, verbal expression, concentration, and short-term memory use.

To close the dyslexia attainment gap, UK universities must strive to make their institutions more dyslexia-friendly across the board. Lecturers can help by pondering the efficacy of their teaching and assessment methods for all students. For instance, the reading accuracy of dyslexic students is shown to improve significantly with fonts like Helvetica, Courier and Arial.

Dyslexic students revealed in a survey carried out at the University of Exeter that they appreciate receiving teaching material prior to sessions and not being overwhelmed with information. They also want some diversity in both teaching and assessment methods, easy access to markings criteria written in plain English, and more significantly, to record teaching sessions to understand materials at their own pace.

Each year, UK universities have students with undiagnosed dyslexia. The number of such cases could be reduced if institutions received financial support for professional dyslexia assessments. Clear procedures would allow lecturers to refer students they believe have undiagnosed dyslexia for a quick screening and establish guidelines for teaching staff’s greater awareness of their particular needs. Dyslexic students enrolled in all modules need to have their action plans monitored to ensure they receive adequate support.

Considering that dyslexia is a diverse condition and should be viewed as a continuum rather than a clinical diagnosis, it is impossible to predict which accommodations individuals require. Promoting a wider variety of accommodations, however, can help level the playing field for dyslexic students.