How Can You Become a Writer If Reading Isn’t Accessible?

 

It is often said that to become a writer, you need to read a lot. Reading helps build vocabulary, structure, and understanding of how writing works.

But this idea assumes that reading is equally accessible for everyone.

For dyslexic and disabled writers, this is not always the case.

Many books, academic texts, and research materials are not available in accessible formats. They may be long, complex, or difficult to process. This can make learning more difficult, even for people who are highly creative and motivated to write.

This raises an important question: how can someone develop as a writer if the materials they need to learn from are not accessible?

Even when accessible materials exist, they can be limited or difficult to find. Some writers rely on face-to-face support or guided learning, but this is not always available to everyone.

This creates a gap in access, rather than a gap in ability.

Many disabled writers have strong ideas, lived experience, and creativity, but may not have equal access to the same learning tools and resources as others.

Improving access to Easy Read materials, simplified research, and alternative formats could help reduce this barrier and support more inclusive pathways into writing.

Writing should be based on potential and creativity—not on how easily someone can access traditional forms of reading.