Shedding light on a “hidden” disability : Realizing the potential of dyslexic employees

Purpose – Considers the training and development challenges surrounding people with a learning disability such as dyslexia and the small changes human resource specialists can make to improve the wellbeing and productivity of disabled employees. Design/methodology/approach – Draws upon the author's professional experience, together with relevant literature. Findings – Argues that more should be done to ensure that organizations are disability‐friendly. Highlights the need for management‐wide awareness of disabilities and the role of training and assistive technologies to support this process. Practical implications – Suggests that HR specialists can help disabled employees to realize their potential and improve productivity by heightened awareness of their condition by management and through the implementation of specialized training and assistive technology. Social implications – Argues that developing an inclusive culture where disabled employees feel secure and supported should be fundamental to any HR department's role within an organization. Originality/value – Helps HR specialists and managers to think differently about dealing with disabled employees.