School of Education student pushes for more support for dyslexic students, delivers TEDx Talk

Drawing from her own personal struggles with dyslexia, Liberty University special education senior Taylor Shay now advocates for other neurodivergent individuals to receive the support they need.

Growing up in Hagerstown, Md., Shay said her local public schools were not properly equipped to help her overcome her learning struggles even though she was protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.

“That inspired me to advocate not just for myself but also for other students who have dyslexia,” she said. “That ultimately drove me to community service and to doing outreach and advocacy as a teenager and now an adult. It also inspired me to go into education so I can advocate for students as the teacher who is seeing firsthand how students are struggling in the classroom.”

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Shay enrolled in the Miss America Princess Program (now called the Little Sisters Program) and has competed in multiple pageants as a teenager and adult. As a result of the numerous opportunities Miss America provided, she became heavily involved in community service. She has served with the Leitersburg Ruritans at the Leitersburg Peach Festival for 10 years. She also  launched the Dyslexics Next Achievement program, which seeks to educate the general community on dyslexia and empower others to reach their full potential through Dyslexics Next Achievement engagement and more.

In June, Shay participated in the Miss America HER Story initiative, which allows participants to take the stage and share their stories. Shortly afterward, Shay was invited by TEDx Hagerstown Women, a localized TEDx event, to share more about her story in a 10-minute speech. TEDx Talks are locally organized events that can be tailored to a specific community and do not have the same planning and production guidelines as traditional TED Talks.

In her TEDx Talk, she provided some brief dyslexia statistics and encouraged listeners to alter their perception of the disorder. She said dyslexia commonly affects a person’s ability to process information, understand language, read, and more, noting that between 15-20% of the U.S. population has the disorder. Rather than labeling dyslexia as a “disability,” Shay said it should be viewed as the “ability to see the world in a unique way.”

“Taking the ‘dis’ out of disability and being able to see the abilities can help those with dyslexia be successful and (use) what we have as our strengths to be able to accomplish what we need to accomplish.

Shay concluded the TEDx Talk by urging others to advocate for students with learning difficulties and encourage them to pursue their dreams.

“Dyslexics don’t need to be fixed,” she said. “We need to take these accommodations and modifications and figure out how we can take (dyslexic) students’ abilities and find out how they best learn.”

Through DNA’s social media outreach, Shay seeks to educate the general population on common signs, symptoms, and misinformation on dyslexia and also highlight famous dyslexic individuals throughout history who refused to be deterred by what others may call a “disability.” She also partners with Krista Weltner, author of the children’s book series “Everyday Adventures with Molly & Dyslexia” to visit local public schools and speak with students.

Shay said she decided to attend Liberty because of the school’s focus on spiritual growth and the quality of its academic programs. She said the school also provided her academic support through the Office of Disability Accommodation Support.

“I love the education program,” she said, noting her courses have taught her how to develop lesson plans and tailor them to various learning levels and abilities, including those with dyslexia. “I think Liberty sets students up really well to go into private or public schools, depending on where they believe the Lord is calling them.”

As she prepares to enter a career in education, Shay hopes to establish meaningful relationships with students to not only help them through intellectual struggles but also shine as a light for the Gospel.

“I really believe dyslexia is a gift from God,” she said. “There are a lot of struggles that come from dyslexia that a lot of people may not realize. I see it as a gift because if God didn’t put this in my life, He wouldn’t have placed me in education.”