Dyslexia Canada proudly celebrates Dyslexia Awareness Month in October with our annual Mark it Read for dyslexia campaign. This is a great opportunity to come together and shine a light on dyslexia: the most common cause of reading difficulties, affecting approximately 750,000 students in Canada.
With support from wonderful volunteers across Canada, this national initiative continues to grow each year. We'd love to have you join us, so read on for some ways to get involved!
Wear red
Show your support on International Dyslexia Awareness Day (October 8th) by wearing something red! Make your own Mark It Read t-shirt or order one from our store, gather some friends and family for a photo and share it with us using #MarkItReadForDyslexia. We also have a Wear Red letter template you can use to inspire classes, schools or other groups to wear red.
Host an event
Organizing a gathering or fundraiser for Mark it Read doesn’t have to be complicated. We have lots of ideas and even a checklist you can use to make it easy.
Download our Host an Event Checklist and/or FUNdraising guide, and don't hesitate to reach out if you need more information.
To support event hosts, they will receive a FREE promo pack with information and SWAG to hand out at their gathering.
Dyslexia Canada hosted events:
British Columbia Screening Symposium, October 23rd, click here for more information and to register.
Manitoba Right to Read Report Release, October 30th, click here for more information and to register.
Events hosted by supporters:
Calgary AB - Dyslexia Diaries Presents: Mark it Read at the Tool Shed, October 3rd
Victoria BC - Join organizers at 7 pm at the BC Legislative Assembly on October 8th. The building will shine red in support of Dyslexia Awareness. The evening will include a territorial acknowledgement, a short welcome, and a community photo opportunity. Don’t forget to wear red!
Raise a flag
If there's a public space (school, library, town/city hall) in your community that offers great exposure, why not ask if they'll fly the flag for a day or even the entire month? To participate, fill out our Flag Request form and we'll send you a free flag.
Request a Proclamation
Help us break the silence by asking your city or province to declare October Dyslexia Awareness Month. Use our Proclamation Request template to make the request, and once it's approved, don’t forget to wear red for your photos and tag us on social posts.
Lighting
Shine a light on dyslexia by submitting a request to have a local landmark lit in red on October 8th (or any alternate available date). Use our Lighting request template, which has all the information you will need. Then, gather your friends and family, take photos at the landmark and tag us in your social posts.
Here is a list of approved locations that will light up red on October 8th (or alternate date as noted):
Alberta
Telus Spark Science Centre, Calgary (October 8th & 18th)
Lethbridge City Hall
Red Deer City Hall (October 18th)
British Columbia
Canada Place Sails of Light, Vancouver
City Hall & Burrard St Bridge, Vancouver
Legislative Assembly of BC, Victoria
Manitoba
Winnipeg Sign
Esplanade Riel Bridge
Newfoundland and Labrador
Confederation Building, St. John’s
Nova Scotia
Halifax City Hall
Ontario
Peace Bridge, Fort Erie
London City Hall and RBC Place
Fred A. Lundy Bridge, Newmarket
CN Tower, Toronto
3D Toronto Sign
Niagara Falls at 10pm for 15 minutes
Don’t see your local landmark listed? We will continue to update this list as we receive confirmations. If you have submitted a request for lighting, please let us know so we can add it to this list. Email us the information to info@dyslexiacanada.org.
Dyslexia Presentation & Classroom kit
Use our customizable slide deck to create a presentation for your classroom or gathering.
This slide deck can be used by teachers or students (or anyone, for that matter!) to help others understand what dyslexia is and is not. It includes slides celebrating famous, successful people with dyslexia.
Thanks to overwhelming interest our FREE Classroom Kits, filled with materials for your students to take home, are now sold out. If you are interested in ordering our print materials to distribute, please complete the order form and we will ship to you as soon as possible but please be sure to let us know if you need your order for a specific date and we will do our best to get the materials to you in time.
TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 5K
Now one of our favourite annual traditions, Dyslexia Canada will again have a team running the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon events, including in-person and virtual 5K race, half marathon, and full marathon. We will also have a team of volunteers handing out water to the runners at the finish line.
Runners & Walkers
If you would like to run with our team, you can JOIN HERE! During registration, select 'Join a Team' and then search for 'Dyslexia Canada'.
The 2025 in-person races are sold out, but you can still register for the virtual races.
Volunteers
Volunteers for the water station can REGISTER HERE!
Enter the password ‘DYSLEXIACANADA’ (all caps, no spaces) and be sure to click ‘submit’ before selecting your shift in the next step.
Click on the ‘SATURDAY - 5K Finish Water Station’
Complete the registration form and click ‘Join the team’!
How are you celebrating #Markitreadfordyslexia this October?
Email us at info@dyslexiacanada.org to let us know
Mark it Read FAQ
Why red?
Dyslexia is a hereditary disability that makes it difficult to read, write, and spell. The teacher’s red pen can therefore be a constant reminder of the lack of support needed for kids to be successful. During October, the colour red helps to raise awareness of the prevalence of dyslexia as well as the work that needs to be done to support young Canadians who are often left feeling frustrated and isolated. You can find out more about dyslexia here.
Why should I Mark it Read?
By supporting Mark it Read, you will be supporting the estimated 10-20% of Canadians that live with dyslexia. By joining our campaign, you will help to raise awareness of dyslexia whilst helping to eradicate myths and misconceptions of this learning disability. If you’d like to be involved in more opportunities to join Dyslexia Canada’s mission, join us today.
How Can I Participate?
There are several ways to bring awareness to dyslexia in your local community. You can request a landmark to be lit up red for a day or even the month; attend one of our many events planned across the country including flag raisings, presentations, and webinars or purchase some Mark it Read SWAG. However you choose to participate, make sure you use the hashtag #MarkItRead, #SayDyslexia and #BreakingTheSilence so we can share and like your posts! Email info@dyslexiacanada.org form more information on how to get involved.
