From Pandemic Lessons to the Classroom: Advocacy as a Catalyst for Dyslexia Reform

By Carrie VanZant, PhD, Public Health Researcher | Health Systems and Learning Differences Advocate

Introduction: What COVID-19 Taught Us About Systems and Advocacy

The COVID-19 pandemic was more than a public health crisis; it was a global stress test for our systems. As a public health researcher, my doctoral work explored how communication, leadership, and advocacy influenced vaccine uptake among healthcare workers. What emerged was a clear truth: systems don’t change without people pushing them to.

This realization sparked a new question for me: Could the same advocacy-driven frameworks that improved health outcomes be applied to education, specifically for students with dyslexia?

Parallel Systems, Shared Barriers

Students with dyslexia face systemic challenges that mirror those in public health:

• Delayed identification

• Uneven access to evidence-based interventions

• Stigma and misinformation

• Policy gaps and inconsistent implementation

Just as public health uses systems thinking to address these barriers, education can benefit from similar models. Communication strategies that built vaccine trust can inform dyslexia awareness campaigns. Equity-focused outreach in health can inspire targeted support for underserved learners. And implementation science—used to scale health interventions—can guide the rollout of structured literacy programs.

Advocacy: The Engine of Reform

In both domains, advocacy isn’t a side effort—it’s the engine. During the pandemic, health advocates built trust, bridged gaps, and drove policy change. In education, dyslexia advocates—parents, educators, and researchers do the same. They reframe narratives, mobilize communities, and hold institutions accountable.

Research shows that advocacy networks influence outcomes by sustaining reform momentum and reshaping institutional priorities. It’s time we study these networks not just as social movements, but as strategic levers for measurable change in literacy rates, teacher preparedness, and student confidence.

A Call for Interdisciplinary Action

By integrating public health frameworks into dyslexia research, we can better understand how advocacy transforms outcomes. This isn’t just a theoretical exercise; it’s a roadmap for reform. Let’s treat advocacy as a critical determinant of learning success, not an afterthought.

Final Thoughts

The pandemic taught us that systems can change, and quickly, when advocacy is strong, communication is clear, and evidence guides action. Let’s bring those lessons into the classroom and ensure every student with dyslexia has the support they deserve.