If you are considering a new web site or a redesign, making the content more accessible to all users is becoming more important. One of the classes of users for whom web sites can cause difficulties is dyslexics. It is estimated that between 4 and 5% of the population of the UK is badly affected, with many more slightly affected.
Not all dyslexics experience the same effects, so the points below are generalisations that apply to the majority of situations. Some dyslexics may still find particular pages difficult to read.
When briefing your web design company, or if you are involved in web site development yourself, there are some points you can keep in mind to make your web site more accessible.
Fonts. Don’t use small font sizes. Smaller font sizes are harder to read. If you design a site using CSS defined sizes like ems, then the user has more control over changing the relative sizes of all of the text in their browser. In Firefox the shortcut Ctrl + increases the text size on a page (in Internet Explorer it does a zoom which isn’t quite the same thing!).
Many dyslexics find sans serif fonts such as Verdana and Arial easier to read. The space around the letters is important too, so don’t use justification.
Avoid the use of italics for emphasis, as the slanting letters are harder to read. Likewise, avoid use of capitalisation for headlines.
Colours. A high proportion of dyslexic readers are sensitive to the contrast of black text on a white background. Words seem to move around and to blur together. Therefore a background colour that is off white is more easily readable. Special style sheets can be designed and made available for dyslexic users, such as this one on the London 2012 website: http://www.london2012.com/index.php?stylesheet=dyslexia
Dark print on a pale background is a common preference for screen users, and this is often a requirement for many web site designs. Therefore it is a common request in web design agency specifications.
Writing Style. Use shorter sentences, they are easier to digest. This is always a good plan for web pages anyway, where people are reading on screen and often have a shorter attention span.
Use short paragraphs �" the spaces between the paragraphs help the readability. Again, this is a good tip for web copywriting at any time.
Use headings to break up the text and bring emphasis. Bullet points are an effective way to present text in a list style if that is appropriate.
Page Design Considerations. Keep columns narrow �" all readers find extra long lines difficult to process and many dyslexic users more so. 60 or 70 characters wide is ideal �" in 10pt Verdana that is about 500-550 pixels wide as a guideline when designing a web site.
Use wide margins to separate blocks of text. Dense areas of text are harder to read. Highlight boxes are an effective way to draw attention to important information.
Avoid web page designs that involve putting text over patterned or photographic backgrounds. However, photographs and diagrams that act as illustrations or emphasis often improve the readability for a dyslexic.
Speech Readers. Those who are highly dyslexic may access the web through a speech reader. General speech reader web design philosophies should be followed, such as semantic mark-up and other accessibility principles. Placing dots after headers make a speech reader pause, this improves the reading style.
Contact Us Online Business Solutions UK Limited, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL. Phone +44 (0) 20 7770 6255, Fax +44 (0) 20 7770 6261 Web site: www.obs-group.co.uk
About the Author
Oliver Pluckrose is the Head of Development for Online Business Solutions UK Limited (OBS Group). Formed in 1998 and based in London, OBS Group’s ethos has always been to provide simple, end user-driven web design solutions for a sensible, fixed price.
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