Creating Dyslexia Friendly Content
The text and content display created by designers, publishers and web developers can cause problems for children and adults with dyslexia. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) has released an update (16 May 2018) to the BDA Style Guide which addresses these problems. The update incorporates new principles which have been developed following research into how word, letter and line spacing can improve readability.
We have extracted some of the updated principles from the updated Style Guide which will assist developers to continue making their content more readable. These are listed and described as follows:
Readable Fonts
- Use sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Comic Sans, as letters can appear less crowded. Alternatives include Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri, Open Sans.
- Font size should be 12-14 point or equivalent (e.g. 1-1.2em / 16-19 px). Some dyslexic readers may request a larger font.
Headings and Structure
- Use headings and styles to create consistent structure to help people navigate through your content. In Word, you’ll find these tools in the ‘Home’ tab:
- For headings, use a font size that is at least 20% larger than the normal text. If further emphasis is required, then use bold.
Colour
- Use single colour backgrounds. Avoid background patterns or pictures and distracting surrounds.
- Use sufficient contrast levels between background and text.
Layout
- Left align text, without justification.
- Avoid multiple columns (as used in newspapers).
Writing Style
- Use images to support text. Flow charts are ideal for explaining procedures.
- Pictograms and graphics can help to locate and support information in the text.
- Consider using bullet points and numbering rather than continuous prose.
For further details on the BDA Style Guide click here.
Alternatively, if you need further information on creating Dyslexia Friendly Content please do not hesitate to contact one of our team on 01-4151285 or e-mail [email protected].
