In days gone by, children with dyslexia have been regarded in schools as lazy, disruptive and as troublemakers. Even in today's world, the stigma of dyslexia is still evident and many young people leave school with few or no qualifications, not because they are lazy, or stupid or trouble makers, but because they have been unable to read and write and therefore have missed out on a lot of learning.

In March 2005, the Dyslexia Institute's research The Incidence of Hidden Disabilities in the Prison Population: Yorkshire and Humberside Research indicated "Early recognition of hidden disabilities could keep 15,000 individuals out of prison each year and save tax payers £410 million."

In April 2005, Levon Lumb discussed Dyslexia within the Prison Service and stated that "Within the UK's prison population 80% of prisoners have poor writing skills, 50% have reading difficulties and 65% have trouble with numeracy."

The Prison Service News (magazine) has reported on the Chelmsford Scheme, begun in 2006, where prison inmates who have received help learning to read which has resulted in a calmer prison environment and lower re-offending rates.

Speaks Volumes has been set up to primarily aid children who have dyslexia and who can benefit from technology which aids them in reading and writing. Apart from the expected drop in anti social behaviour, we hope to give to young people a sense of self worth, a knowledge that they can achieve and that their views and style of thinking is valued. We aim to bring, eventually, to all young people the sense that they can contribute positively to today's society.