Designing for Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects how the brain processes written and spoken language. It impacts reading speed, word recognition, spelling, and pronunciation but does not affect general intelligence or learning capability. Many accomplished individuals, including scientists and entrepreneurs, have dyslexia.

People with dyslexia may experience text in various ways, from letters appearing to move or flip to words seeming to blur together. These visual processing challenges can make reading slower and more demanding, requiring additional cognitive effort to decode text. Some individuals also experience difficulties with auditory processing and verbal expression.

Text layout, font choice, and visual presentation significantly influence reading comprehension for people with dyslexia. Understanding how dyslexic users experience digital content helps create more accessible interfaces that benefit all users.^[2]

Think of images as natural breaks in your content. They give your eyes and brain a moment to pause and process. Just like taking a breather during a long run, well-placed visuals help prevent cognitive fatigue and make information easier to digest. This is especially helpful for people with dyslexia, who might find walls of text particularly challenging.

Getting the balance right makes a huge difference. Each image should earn its place by either explaining something complex, highlighting a key point, or giving readers a mental checkpoint in their journey through the content. But remember to give your visuals some breathing room. Cramming them too close to text can make things feel cluttered rather than helpful.

Not all visuals are created equal though. Skip the flashy patterns and overly decorative elements that might compete for attention. Clean, simple visuals that complement your content work best.

Serif fonts have small decorative lines (called serifs) at the ends of letter strokes. While these fonts work well in print, they can create extra visual noise in digital interfaces that makes text harder to read. For people with dyslexia, these additional details can make letters appear to blur or run together, increasing reading difficulty.

Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Open Sans, or Inter provide cleaner letter shapes that are easier to distinguish. Their simpler forms reduce cognitive load and improve letter recognition, especially at smaller sizes. Many dyslexia-friendly fonts like OpenDyslexic are specifically designed with letter shapes to prevent common reading errors like letter flipping or mixing.

People with dyslexia read by recognizing patterns in words. They spot familiar letter combinations rather than reading each letter. This helps them read faster and understand better.

Long, complex words slow down reading and make text harder to understand. Technical jargon creates extra barriers because unfamiliar word patterns take longer to process. Simple, everyday words help readers focus on the meaning instead of decoding complex terms.

Additionally, adding icons and visuals next to key terms helps build visual memory and speeds up reading. This combination of simple text and supporting visuals makes content more accessible for everyone.

Small text creates reading barriers for people with dyslexia as the letters are harder to distinguish and increase eye strain. Large, clear text helps readers identify letters more easily and reduces reading errors.

Font size directly impacts reading comfort and speed, too. The British Dyslexia Association recommends using fonts at least 12-14pt for body text.^[3] Headers should be even larger to create a clear visual hierarchy. Mobile screens may need bigger fonts to maintain readability at typical viewing distances.

Remember that font size preferences vary among users. Providing options to adjust text size helps readers customize their experience. This feature especially helps people who use screen magnifiers or need different text sizes throughout the day as their eyes tire.

Dark mode affects how people with dyslexia read text. While dark backgrounds can reduce eye strain for some people^[4], the wrong contrast can make reading harder. Pure black backgrounds with white text often create too much contrast, causing visual stress and text distortion.

A softer dark mode works better. Use dark gray backgrounds (#121212) instead of pure black (#000000). Pair them with off-white text (#DEDEDE) rather than bright white (#FFFFFF). This gentler contrast helps prevent text from appearing to blur or vibrate, a common issue for dyslexic readers.

Let readers choose between light and dark modes. Some people with dyslexia find reading easier with dark text on light backgrounds, while others prefer the opposite. Color preferences can also change based on lighting conditions or eye fatigue throughout the day.

Italic text and ALL CAPS create reading barriers for people with dyslexia. The slanted letters in italics blend together, while capital letters form uniform rectangular shapes that make words harder to recognize. Both formats slow down reading and increase errors.

Bold text and sentence case work better for emphasis. When you need text to stand out, use bold formatting, different font sizes, or appropriate color contrast. These options maintain familiar letter shapes that readers can quickly identify. Moreover, screen readers interpret regular and bold text more reliably than italics or all caps, making bold a better choice for emphasizing content and improving clarity for assistive technology users.

Long lines of text make it hard to track words across the screen. When lines are too long, readers often lose their place or accidentally jump to the wrong line. This is especially challenging for people with dyslexia who may already struggle with text tracking.

The ideal line length for readable text is between 60-70 characters (12-18 words) per line. This length helps readers move smoothly from one line to the next without losing their place. On mobile devices, aim for 30-40 characters per line to maintain readability on smaller screens.

Use margins and padding to control line length in your layouts. Set maximum widths for text containers to prevent lines from stretching too wide on large screens.

Proper line spacing helps readers track from one line to another. When lines sit too close together, words can appear to merge across lines. This makes reading more difficult, especially for people with dyslexia who may struggle to follow text.

For body text on the web, set line height between 1.5 and 2 times the font size. This spacing creates clear visual separation between lines without making them feel disconnected. Headers typically need less line height (1.2 to 1.3) since they're often single lines of larger text.

Also keep in mind that different typefaces need different line heights. Typefaces with large x-heights may need more spacing, while those with smaller x-heights might work well with less. Always test your line height with your chosen typeface to ensure optimal readability.

Lists help break down complex information into digestible chunks. They give readers clear visual breaks and make content easier to scan. This structure is particularly helpful for people with dyslexia who might find dense paragraphs overwhelming.

Bullet points and numbered lists serve different purposes. Use bullet points for related items where order doesn't matter. Choose numbered lists when the sequence is important, like in steps or instructions. Keep list items short and start each with strong action words to maintain clarity.

Leave enough white space between list items. Add extra spacing before and after lists to separate them from regular paragraphs. This visual breathing room helps readers process information in manageable pieces and makes content hierarchy clearer.