This Kiwi has reached over 1 million listeners and climbing
A New Zealand podcast created to help adults understand and manage dyslexia has reached more than one million listeners worldwide, a milestone achieved fittingly during Dyslexia Awareness Month.
The Truth About Dyslexia, founded and hosted by Stephen Martin, has become one of the most recognised voices in adult dyslexia awareness, with listeners spanning the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and beyond.
The milestone comes during Dyslexia Awareness Month, a time dedicated to challenging misconceptions about what dyslexia really is. While many people believe dyslexia is primarily about not being able to read, most dyslexics can read, the real challenge lies in comprehension and processing what is read.
“People often assume dyslexia means you can’t read,” says Stephen Martin. “But for many of us, the difficulty is in understanding and retaining information. You might read a paragraph and then have to reread it several times to make sense of it. That affects confidence, productivity, and self-belief, especially in the workplace.”
Martin was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of ten and started the podcast to share his experiences of navigating life, learning, and business through a dyslexic lens. Each short episode, usually between six and twelve minutes long, explores everyday challenges and practical insights, delivered with honesty and humour.
“Dyslexia doesn’t discriminate,” Martin says. “It affects roughly 10 to 20 percent of the population, yet only a fraction are ever diagnosed. Through the podcast, I’ve found that dyslexic adults are everywhere, in every industry, every role, and every country. The more we talk about it, the more people realise they’re not alone.”
Listeners say the podcast offers comfort, validation, and strategies for self-understanding. But Martin hopes it also helps families, friends, and colleagues better support those with dyslexia.
To mark Dyslexia Awareness Month, Martin shares three general tips for working or living alongside someone with dyslexia:
- Be patient and clear — Dyslexic people often process verbal or written information differently. Give them time to absorb what’s said, and avoid overloading instructions.
- Focus on strengths — Dyslexics often excel in problem solving, creativity, and big-picture thinking. Build on these strengths rather than focusing solely on the difficulties.
- Encourage open communication — Asking how someone prefers to receive or share information can make collaboration easier and more productive.
Martin believes New Zealand still has work to do in recognising dyslexia as part of a broader spectrum of neurodiversity. “Our education system and workplaces need to evolve,” he says. “The dyslexic mind doesn’t work in straight lines. It thrives on collaboration and creativity. If we ignore that, we risk losing a huge amount of potential.”
New episodes of The Truth About Dyslexia are released weekly, or whenever Martin uncovers something new worth sharing. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms.
ENDS
