Marcia Brissett-Bailey
Mental Health Advocate and Author
Marcia Brissett-Bailey is a writer, educator, and advocate with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices and experiences. Marcia has over 30 years of experience across education from early years, primary, secondary, post-16, to higher education and also worked for local authority, supporting families, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Marcia brings a deep understanding of neurodiversity, identity, and social equity to her work. She is passionate about creating inclusive spaces for learning, and her expertise spans both collaborative and personal projects.
Marcia is the author of Black, Brilliant and Dyslexic. She is committed to championing voices that challenge stereotypes and inspire meaningful dialogue.
Her influence extends beyond writing. As a member of neurodiversity advisory boards in the USA and the UK, Marcia has become a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless individuals. She has been recognised by Dyslexia Help at the University of Michigan, where she is featured as a notable dyslexic, and has received multiple awards, including the Diversity Power 100 and the British Dyslexia Association Adult Award.
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Marcia Brissett-Bailey — known as @theblackdyslexic — is an award-winning author, editor of Black, Brilliant, and Dyslexic, and internationally renowned speaker featured in Forbes. Named one of the Top 50 Influential Neurodivergent Women (2022) and Top 80 Neurodiversity Evangelists in the UK (2023), she is a passionate advocate for dyslexic and neurodivergent young people, championing self-esteem, confidence, and representation through an intersectional lens.
Marcia co-founded the Cultural Perspective Committee within the British Dyslexia Association, serves as a trustee of the Waltham Forest Dyslexia Association, and holds advisory roles at the Centre for Neurodiversity at Work and Neurodiversity in Business. With over three decades in education — from primary to higher education, including a SENDIASS role in a London local authority — she now works as a consultant and Further Education Partnership Lead at Diversity and Ability.
