Dyslexia gave me problem-solving powers — and a career in politics

Robert Carroll, a New York State Assembly member, has dyslexia. He was born and raised in the district he represents, the 44th Assembly District in Brooklyn. Growing up with dyslexia helped make Robert an independent, out-of-the-box thinker. Sometimes it was hard for him to read or think the “right” way, so he learned to see things differently. 

After law school, Robert dived into the world of politics, a field that requires a lot of technical reading and writing. But he thrives in the work through a combination of good ideas and delegation. In this week’s episode of How’d You Get THAT Job?!, Robert talks about how he had the privilege of going to schools that helped him work with his dyslexia. Now he advocates for policies that allow all kids to get that same support, even if their families don’t have the resources his family did. 

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.  

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at thatjob@understood.org.  

Related resources

• Dyslexia laws: What they are and how they work
• Video: Gavin Newsom opens up about his dyslexia
• A day in the life of an employee with dyslexia

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Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give