To the Top of TikTok with Love, Support, and Assistive Technology. Excelling with Dyslexia 

Dayna Ellen Halliwell (aka dyslexicdayna) is a full-time influencer and content creator. She is famous on TikTok famous (4.9MLikes!), is an actress, and is looking to do her Ph.D. to further the social and educational movement of dyslexia. 

However, Dayna was not always at the top of her game. For many years she struggled with dyslexia, was always behind in school, had no support, and felt like the slowest person in the room who often “didn’t finish the race.”

A Diagnosis That Makes It Better 

Dyslexia is the most common learning challenge and those who struggle with it have a disadvantage from their first day at school. Dayna, who is a self-employed TikToker, struggles immensely due to working alone. Dayna described it as “It does sometimes feel like I’m juggling a lot of plates and at any moment one could crack because I turned my back.” Organization and time management is key to ensuring everything is in order. Working alone forces Dayna to deal with contract reading, constant emails, remembering briefs and meetings, and answering comments and messages by herself. 

When Dayna was in school she felt like she was always behind, had no support, and was the slowest person in the room. Upon finding out she was dyslexic Dayna felt both relief and grief. On one hand, she felt relieved, getting answers. Suddenly it all made sense and going forward she could understand herself better and so could others around her. On the other hand, she equally felt grief for all the years feeling less than others and for all the emotional trauma she experienced as a result of that. 

@dyslexicdayna

#ad AD: Make cupcakes with me as a dyslexic, using the @orcam.tech read #dyslexia #readingchallenges #personalai #baking

♬ original sound – Dayna

Being The Role Model She Needed 

Overcoming her struggles wasn’t easy, but receiving support and assistive tech like the OrCam Learn helped. As a result, in the last couple of years, Dayna found herself and built up her self-esteem. This translated into achievements and success. 

Today Dayna is an online disability content creator. She creates content full-time which she absolutely loves. Her day-to-day life consists of waking up, filming videos, planning posts, doing admin jobs and tutoring students before she can finally relax and crawl into bed with a good book. 

In her videos on TikTok Dayna tells her story and about her experience with learning challenges, how she dealt with school life, bullies, classes, and tests. With wit and laughter, she is happy to leave a tiny mark on this very big world, sending a strong message: What it is like to be dyslexic and how to overcome many life challenges. There is nothing wrong with having a learning difficulty and don’t let anyone make you feel less for it.

Thank you Dayna, for teaching us to always feel secure and better about ourselves despite the struggles! 

Win The Race With the OrCam Learn

OrCam Learn is a first-of-its-kind handheld portable, personal AI device with a smart camera that seamlessly reads text from any printed surface or digital screen, from books, newspapers, smartphone and computer screens, and more.

It is designed for people with reading difficulties including dyslexia and ADHD, and for anyone who consumes large amounts of text such as students and professionals. It features the revolutionary Smart Reading and a laser-guided camera that allows for full-page capture.