Dyslexia in the media: from misunderstanding to empowerment

By Abigail Stevenson, Dyslexia Scotland Young Ambassador

In the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor, dyslexia is shown in a negative way, making it seem like people with dyslexia are ‘stupid’ and can’t achieve their dreams. The character Rafe, who is dyslexic, dreams of becoming a pilot. As a child, he and his best friend, Danny, would pretend to fly. Rafe would name the planes and write the names on the side, but the words were always crooked and misspelled. People would tell Danny, “don’t spend time with that stupid boy.” This shows how little people understood dyslexia back then, often thinking it meant someone wasn’t smart.

Over the years, our understanding of dyslexia has changed a lot. In the 1970s and 1980s, dyslexia wasn’t recognised like it is today. Instead, kids who had trouble reading and writing were often called ‘slow’ or ‘dumb’. Thankfully, people now know more about dyslexia, and this change is also seen in movies.

For example, the 2021 movie Not Broken shows dyslexia in a more positive way. The film follows a young woman named Winter, who struggles with dyslexia and finding her place in the world. Even though she failed in school and had a challenging time keeping a job, she discovers that when she finds something she loves, she can do it well. This movie shows that dyslexia doesn’t define what a person can do, and everyone has their own strengths.

Today, people are still learning more about dyslexia, but we’ve made a lot of progress since the 1970s and 1980s. Movies are slowly changing from showing old stereotypes to more accurate and encouraging stories, reflecting a better understanding of dyslexia.