The Superglass Challenge. Not as challenging as working in construction with dyslexia.

Chances are, you’re already aware of ‘The Superglass Challenge’ (if not, take a look at the video here) – the campaign designed to highlight dyslexia in the construction industry through a deliberate spelling error on our latest packaging. But why dyslexia? And why now?

Dyslexia has been around a long time – but, like the deliberate mistake on our new packaging, it’s always been hard to spot. In its simplest terms, it’s a neurological difference that can have a significant impact on those who have it, but the impacts vary. Often it occurs alongside other specific learning difficulties, such as anxiety, ADHD, Developmental Language Disorder and Dyspraxia – and it usually runs in families and is a life-long condition.

Why is dyslexia so common in construction?

According to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), around 10% of the UK population are thought to be dyslexic. But a survey carried out by On the Tools in their ‘Behind the High-Vis Mental Health Whitepaper’ suggested that 1 in 5 – about 20% - of tradespeople have dyslexia. 

Research suggests that neurodiversity is particularly prevalent in the construction sector. A 2023 survey by the National Federation of Builders found that around 1 in 4 construction workers identify as neurodivergent, including conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD and autism. While some industry sources have suggested that around 20,000 people in UK construction are dyslexic.

Given that dyslexia affects around 10% of the population, and the UK construction workforce is approximately 2.7 million, the number of dyslexic workers in the sector is likely to be in the hundreds of thousands, many of whom may be undiagnosed.

The reason for its over-representation in the construction industry isn’t clear – but it’s likely to be that the industry attracts people with a preference for practical, hands-on skills over academic qualifications.

Why it’s so important.

While dyslexia itself isn’t life-threatening, its impact can be devastating – especially in an environment like a construction site. 

The BIS Skills for Life research paper published in 2011 found that 19% of construction industry respondents met literacy Entry Level 3 or below, while 23% met numeracy Entry Level 2 (which equates roughly to primary school level, age 9–11). While no directly comparable sector-level data is available today, the latest OECD Survey of Adult Skills (2023) shows that around 18% of adults in England have low literacy and 21% have low numeracy, suggesting that basic skills challenges remain significant.

Dyslexia can play a large part in such low levels of literacy – and in a construction environment it can make it more difficult to interpret written safety information, which highlights the importance of clear and inclusive communication on site.

Superglass and the BDA – rising to the Challenge together.

Once the team at Superglass recognised the prevalence of dyslexia amongst construction workers, we felt it was important to raise awareness and support those affected – hence our campaign, in conjunction with the British Dyslexia Association, where those customers who spot the deliberate spelling mistake on our packaging can message us on LinkedIn and we’ll make a donation on their behalf.

Richard Bishop, Marketing Controller at Superglass, commented on the campaign, “With such overrepresentation of dyslexia in the construction industry, we wanted to raise awareness of how this condition can present challenges in a safety-critical environment. As part of our commitment to this campaign, we are looking at ways to make our working environment, and the use of our products, safer and more inclusive. Working with the British Dyslexia Association was the natural choice to support this campaign”

Need help with dyslexia?

Whether you want to find out more or simply need practical support, the British Dyslexia Association provides information, guidance and resources for parents, carers, educators and individuals with dyslexia. They also offer a free national helpline and a wide range of free online resources, which can be found at bdadyslexia.org.uk

Remember, every customer who spots one of our special packs simply has to message us, with a picture, on LinkedIn and we’ll make a donation on your behalf. So keep a look out next time you’re in your local stockist!