Judge named 2 dyslexia effects as disability: Young v YTL

On 22 July 2026, an employment judge ruled that Mr M Young was disabled by dyslexia at all material times. The judgment says that includes cognitive weakness in working memory and processing speed (Employment Tribunal case 6008214/2025, Employment Judge Dawson, sent to the parties on 14 August 2026).

That is all the published document decides. It is a short procedural ruling, and it says nothing about who wins. Even so, it shows how a tribunal can describe dyslexia, and that wording is worth borrowing for your own paperwork.

What the judgment records

The hearing took place by video on 22 July 2026. Mr Young represented himself, and the employer, YTL Construction (UK) Ltd, had a barrister. Both sides agreed that the list of issues in a case management order dated 26 March 2026 is still accurate.

The judge made two findings that matter here. First, that Mr Young was disabled by dyslexia throughout the period in dispute. Second, that his dyslexia includes weaknesses in working memory and processing speed.

The word is "includes", so those two effects are examples and not a full list. Neither is about spelling or reading aloud, though. Both describe how the mind handles information, and that is where many workplace problems start.

When you describe your dyslexia, describe what your mind does with information, and not only what happens on the page.

What the judgment leaves out

The document doesn't say what Mr Young claimed. It doesn't give his job, say whether he was dismissed, or list the adjustments he asked for. The claims sit in the list of issues from 26 March 2026, which isn't published.

The judge also gave oral reasons at the hearing. Written reasons exist only if a party asked for them within 14 days of 14 August 2026. We couldn't find any published.

So treat this as a signal and not a precedent. A first-instance tribunal ruling doesn't bind other tribunals, and this one settles a single preliminary point.

Use this case as a model for describing your own effects, because it proves nothing about who wins.

Why disability gets argued first

In a UK discrimination claim, the worker has to show they meet the legal definition of disability before anything else counts. Under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, that means an impairment with a substantial, long-term effect on normal day-to-day activities.

"Substantial" is a low bar. Section 212 of the Act defines it as more than minor or trivial. "Long-term" means the effect has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months (Schedule 1, paragraph 2).

Employers sometimes contest this point. When a judge settles it at a preliminary hearing, the main hearing can focus on what the employer did or failed to do.

Neurodiversity claims are climbing, and rulings like this one are part of how they move through the system. Dyslexia claims dipped in 2024 and rose again in 2025, according to the same analysis.

The disability question is a hurdle you clear with evidence about effects, so start collecting that evidence before any dispute begins.

What working memory and processing speed look like at work

Working memory is the mental notepad. When it is weak, a verbal instruction with four parts can lose its third and fourth parts before you've started the first. Meetings where actions are agreed out loud are the usual trouble spot.

Processing speed is how quickly you take in and respond to information. When it is slow, a dense email or a fast-moving call costs you more effort than it costs a colleague. You can do the work well; it takes longer, or needs a different format.

Neither effect shows up in a spelling test. Both show up in a meeting, an inbox, or a handover. They are also the effects an employer can actually act on, because each one points to a specific change.

If a manager says your spelling looks fine, answer with the task that costs you the most time, not the spelling.

Write your effects down in this form

A diagnosis report names the condition, but your manager can only act on effects. Write each one as a task, an effect and a change.

Working memory: "In meetings I can't hold several action points while someone is still talking. Please send the agenda a day ahead and confirm actions in writing afterwards."

Processing speed: "Long documents take me noticeably longer to read. Please send them a day before the meeting, and I will use text-to-speech on my own device."

Date it, send it by email, and keep a copy. A dated email is evidence of what your employer knew, and when.

Two sentences per effect is enough; precision beats length.

Why the written record protects your adjustments (UK)

Under Schedule 8, paragraph 20 of the Equality Act, the duty to make reasonable adjustments doesn't apply if the employer didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that you have a disability and are likely to be at a disadvantage. A written description of your effects closes that gap. After it lands, "we didn't know" gets very hard to say.

You don't need a formal diagnosis report to start. Our disclosure guide sets out who to tell and in what order.

If the change involves software or equipment, Access to Work may fund it, and our Access to Work calculator shows what you could claim. Your employer's duty doesn't wait for that decision.

One dated email turns a private difficulty into something your employer has to answer.

If you work in the US

The ADA uses a different test. It lists reading, learning, concentrating and thinking among the major life activities (42 U.S.C. section 12102), and the 2008 amendments told courts to read the definition broadly.

The habit is the same, but the law is not, so don't carry UK section numbers into a US conversation. Describe the effects, ask in writing, and name one specific change. The EEOC and the Job Accommodation Network (askjan.org) both give free guidance.

US readers should frame the request around the activity affected, such as reading or concentrating.

What this means for you

Here's the call. This week, write down two or three effects of your dyslexia on specific tasks. Use working memory and processing speed as starting points if they fit.

Email the list to your manager or HR with one change per effect. Keep the sent email, because it is your proof of what they were told and when.

If you're told your dyslexia is too mild to count, remember the UK test doesn't grade severity. It asks about effects on day-to-day activities, and we cover that in our piece on severity grading.

If a dispute does start, speak to ACAS first. Early conciliation is free, and an employment tribunal claim generally has to be started within three months less one day of the act you're complaining about, with conciliation pausing the clock. You can browse other tribunal rulings in our article archive.

You can't control how a tribunal rules, but you can make sure your employer has your effects in writing today.