.png)
Our Story
We're Facing a Literacy Crisis
Black students are disproportionately affected. They are more likely to score below the proficient reading level for their grade. This affects the trajectory of their education and holds them back from reaching their full potential. Together, we can champion advocacy for Black children with dyslexia.
Our Mission
To eliminate the amplified inequities for Black children experiencing unaddressed dyslexia and related learning disabilities.
OUR VISION
Every child is a learner empowered to reach their potential.
Our Founder
Under the leadership of founder Resha Conroy, DABC has emerged as a trusted national voice in literacy justice, dyslexia advocacy, and culturally affirming educational leadership for Black children and families.
Through transformative workshops, conferences, partnerships, advocacy initiatives, and the development of the ALIGN Framework™, DABC continues to shape national conversations around literacy equity, educational access, and family-centered systems transformation.
Ready to Advocate?
Today, more than one million Black children and families in the U.S. are affected by dyslexia. They experience amplified learning inequities. Sign up for our email newsletter for opportunities to advance dyslexia advocacy and racial justice.
Our Approach
The Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children (DABC) is a national literacy justice organization
working at the intersection of literacy, race, language, disability equity, and family advocacy.
DABC was founded to address the persistent inequities Black children and families experience in literacy identification,
dyslexia support, educational decision-making, and access to culturally responsive intervention.
Through advocacy, professional learning, leadership development, and systems transformation,
DABC is building the infrastructure necessary to ensure Black children with dyslexia and
related learning differences are recognized, supported, and empowered to thrive.
ALIGN Framework™
The ALIGN Framework™ is a literacy systems framework developed by Resha Conroy
and operationalized through the work of the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children (DABC).
ALIGN focuses on protective partnership, responsive literacy pathways, and
equitable access to support for students with language and literacy differences.
The framework was developed to help schools, educators, families, and communities
examine how literacy systems shape: access to intervention, educational decision-making,
family experience, and long-term literacy outcomes.
ALIGN is grounded in the belief that literacy outcomes are shaped not only by instruction,
but also by the responsiveness of systems, the transparency of pathways, the consistency of decisions,
and the extent to which families are positioned as informed, protective partners.
The framework is grounded in the Black Family and Community Protective Traditions Framework™
and informed by the Language-Mediated Generative & Protective Capacity Framework™.
Through ALIGN, DABC supports conversations and learning around literacy systems, family partnership,
educational access, and equitable literacy pathways for children and families.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that is neurobiological (brain-based) in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, poor spelling, and decoding abilities. Dyslexia is unrelated to intelligence.
Because dyslexia is a collection of symptoms, it is diagnosed through a comprehensive assessment. With evidence-based instruction, individuals with dyslexia can be taught to read.
The Intersection Between Race and Dyslexia
While 6% of white students receive an in-school identification of dyslexia, only 3% of Black students do. The critical disparities in diagnosis and access to support services have a lasting impact on a child’s education.
Add Impact to Your Inbox
Sign up for our email newsletter to receive resources, stay in the know about workshops and events, and get inspired. Be there for families experiencing dyslexia and eliminate the amplified inequities for Black children.