About Imagine Reading

We didn’t start in a boardroom.

We started in living rooms, school auditoriums, and community centers where Left Behind was first screened, in cities and rural towns where families had never seen their struggle named out loud.

A community gathered at a screening of Left Behind

“To connect every parent of a child with dyslexia to the resources, rights, and community they need.”

Our story

The geography was different. The exhaustion was identical.

Left Behind traveled across the country, to school auditoriums, community centers, and living rooms where families had never seen their struggle named out loud. Every screening followed the same pattern. Parents stayed after. They asked the same questions. They felt the same isolation.

A mom in Brooklyn was fighting the same battle as a family outside Ottawa, Kansas. So we built the infrastructure we wished we’d had: a connector that bridges isolated families to the expertise, communities, and resources that already exist. We are not a tutoring service, a law firm, or a direct-service provider, we’re the bridge to all of them.

Meet the founders

Founded by parents, filmmakers, and technologists who lived it.

Anna Toomey

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Anna Toomey is the Executive Director and co-founder of Imagine Reading, leading the organization with a deeply personal mission. Her advocacy work began when her own son was diagnosed with dyslexia, revealing a public school system severely ill-equipped to support neurodiverse learners. Driven to bridge the gap between systemic failure and student success, Anna has since dedicated her career to ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.

An Emmy Award–winning former producer for ABC News, Anna leverages a powerful background in long-form storytelling to amplify unheard voices through her company, Sandy Dog Productions. Her acclaimed documentary, Left Behind, follows a group of mothers fighting to open New York City’s first public school dedicated to dyslexic students. The film earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and won Best Documentary at the SOHO International Film Festival. By partnering with Dan and Stephanie Fougere to establish Imagine Reading, Anna combines her storytelling expertise and advocacy to build a vital resource network and community hub that guides families through the complexities of dyslexia.

Dan & Stephanie Fougere

Co-Founders

Dan and Stephanie Fougere are the co-founders of Imagine Reading, a non-profit organization born out of their personal journey as parents. Residents of Westchester County, New York, and parents of three, they faced a painful and isolating process when their two daughters were diagnosed with dyslexia. After struggling to secure an accurate diagnosis or extra reading support within the public school system, they realized their experience was shared by thousands of families left to navigate the process alone.

Driven to create a solution, and inspired by Anna Toomey’s documentary Left Behind, they partnered with Toomey to establish Imagine Reading. The organization bridges the resource gap for families by acting as a definitive focal point for parents navigating dyslexia. The initiative pairs Stephanie’s dedication to family advocacy with Dan’s 30 years of experience building technology startups, serving as a venture partner, and sitting on non-profit boards like Homes for Our Troops. Together, they are creating a scalable, community-driven network where parents can access the tools, guidance, and community their children need to thrive.

How we connect families

Three pillars, one mission.

Community Web

Local Chapters

Connecting pockets of knowledge in rural and underserved areas so no parent reinvents the wheel alone.

Digital Hub

National Database

A first-of-its-kind 50-state resource hub with state-specific dyslexia rights, proven district models, and a community resource directory.

Parent Roadmap

Direct Advocacy

Concrete tools for IEP meetings, rights knowledge, and the language to hold districts accountable.

What we believe

Four core values.

Parents First

Every decision starts with one question: does this make it easier for a parent?

Equity of Access

Zip code, race, or income should never determine whether a child gets a diagnosis.

Connection Over Expertise

We’re the hub, not the expert in every room. We connect families to the people who are.

Action Over Policy

Policy takes years. Parents need a lifeline now.

Behind every child who beats the odds is a parent who refused to give up.

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