Marcia’s long road to recognition

In a world where success often hinges on educational success, Marcia Brissett-Bailey's story is one that embodies the perils of thinking differently in a system wedded to conformity.

She sums up her journey living with dyslexia. She now holds three degrees, including a master’s in special education needs from the University of East London, despite having left school with just one high grade GCSE in drama. She said, 

One teacher actually said to me that I would never academically achieve. That one GCSE doesn’t tell you who I am” 

Marcia Brissett-Bailey’s tale of intersectionality does not stand alone. Other neurodiverse people share her experiences of exclusion, isolation and confusion, she says. She captures some of their stories in her book Black, Brilliant and Dyslexic: Neurodivergent Heroes Tell their Stories, which includes both her mother and her daughter as case studies.

Through a mosaic of narratives, Marcia amplifies voices often sidelined in mainstream discourse - those of Black people navigating the intersectionality of dyslexia, gender and race.

“We see the Richard Bransons, we see the Jamie Olivers and the Alan Sugars but they don’t tell my story of navigating the school system,” she said.

Marcia’s own journey of self-discovery began in the classroom. Despite her love for learning, she felt “like a square peg in a round hole.”

"I loved school, but school didn't love me," she said. It wasn't until college that a perceptive teacher recognised her potential and put her on the path to a proper diagnosis.

Marcia said, “I started to be aware that I felt different in the way I presented my work when I was about Year Five, just before I went to secondary school. I realised that I wasn't doing what my friends were doing.

“The more I tried, the more it just didn't seem to work. I was getting all these red marks but no one was explaining why. I was so traumatised I felt like I had to conform, I had to be a good student, I had to listen to authority, be respectful. So no one saw that I was really struggling. It felt very isolating.”

Her diagnosis broke her into a new world of learning, as well as presenting a whole tranche of new challenges.

She said, “That was the moment when it fell into place. I was 16 and I had never quite fit in and I didn’t know why. Then I knew. It brought tears to my eyes.

“Then I thought ‘I'm Black, I’m a woman and I’m dyslexic so how do I navigate all this?’ There's a glass ceiling as a woman, and as a Black woman and then you're dyslexic too. How is this going to work?

Armed with newfound clarity, Marcia became an advocate for change for herself and others like her.

“Why did it take so long for a diagnosis? I feel there were stereotypes of conscious or unconscious biases. The bottom line is that I was failed. I'm not unique. The system is not designed the way that our brains work. We don’t do linear learning.” Marcia advocates for systemic reforms in education. She calls for smaller class sizes, multi-sensory teaching approaches, and greater access to technology.

She said, “We know there are so many young people who are being excluded from school and 50 per cent of those in the prison system are dyslexic or neurodiverse so we can tell there’s something happening there. The pipeline prepares people like me who don’t feel like they belong.”

Marcia has spent three decades working in education, focusing on further education. She has held roles such as pastoral tutor, careers adviser, and SEND Lead. In her most recent role, as further education partnerships lead at the disability services and support organisation, Diversity and Ability, Marcia provided support for individuals under 18, their families, and educational institutions, championing inclusivity and support.

She said, “I see dyslexia as a learning difference because it's just the way my brain processes information. We've got to look at our strengths. I am someone who’s a big picture person, a problem solver. I'm somebody who’s going to take the risk of going out there and exploring to find answers. That’s how I think. Other people think in black and white. We need all sorts.

“But I had to hack the system, finding ways and strategies to be able to show up. There's still a lot of learning we need to do as a society so people like me don’t face so many obstacles.” If you are interested in a UEL Special Education Needs MA find out more.