What the closure of the Dyspraxia Foundation means half a year later
Written by Aura Stephenson on 14th October 2024
The Dyspraxia Foundation, an organization that served the community for four decades, was forced to close in April 2024 due to financial difficulties. In their website announcement, they stated:
“We write to you today with heavy hearts but with utmost transparency and respect. It is with profound regret that we must announce the closure of the Dyspraxia Foundation. This decision was not made lightly and comes after exhaustive efforts to sustain our mission and serve those in need.”
Dyspraxia is a development disorder that affects different parts of someone’s life such as movement, fine motor skills and organisations; it affects people with dyspraxia in different ways so there isn’t just one main definition. According to Cambridge University Hospitals, around 3-5% of people in the UK have this condition.
Every year, from early to mid-October, Dyspraxia Awareness Week is observed. This year marked the first time in 40 years that the Dyspraxia Foundation wasn’t active during the awareness week. When speaking with members of the dyspraxia community about the impact of the foundation’s closure, one person shared:
‘I’m worried about it because there is now little official advocacy for dyspraxia, and we all have to try and be a voice for ourselves without the official backing.”
When discussing if dyspraxia awareness week gets enough attention, another person added: “I feel like, among people who either have dyspraxia themselves or have a loved one or friend with dyspraxia, awareness week gets enough attention but on a wider scale I still feel there is a bit to go on spreading awareness of dyspraxia due to dyspraxia being unknown or misunderstood commonly.”
Since the closure, many people have started their own instagram accounts to try and give support to the already struggling community with the lack of resources available. Many of these pages post daily content and advice about living with dyspraxia.
During an interview with the owner of the instagram page @thediaryofadyspraxic, she talked about the impact the closure had on her: “With being a member of the youth group through the Dyspraxia Foundation, the closure was rough.
“It allowed me to connect with fellow dyspraxics and I was able to make a friend group through this.”
Even after the closure, the dyspraxia community continues to come together to support each other. The owner of the instagram account provided some advice for anyone who may have dyspraxia:
“Take it in your stride. For me, being dyspraxic has made me feel incredibly determined in life and has helped me get through challenging times.”
