Jade’s Guide to Dyslexia-Friendly Design:

Jade loves learning, finding new ideas, and reading through digital content. However, some design aspects of websites make such processes a bit more inconvenient than they need to be. Having dyslexia, Jade finds reading long, entire paragraphs of text with little gaps between letters a nightmare, and she has challenges deciphering fonts that are not quite simple enough. Jade needs straightforward, direct content with design elements to enhance readability rather than distract from it.

When the websites are accessible, with readable fonts, high contrast, and clear structure, Jade has no problem navigating them-she and even has a good time. In all those other cases, though, it gets frustrating when one or more of these features are missing. Jade would much rather surf to another site that is easier to understand.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia affects 10-15% of the population and can make reading a challenge. For Jade, certain fonts, layouts, and designs are harder to process, but accessibility can turn those hurdles into stepping stones.

Critical Challenges for Jade

Fonts that are difficult to read: Fancy or irregular fonts make it harder for Jade to differentiate between letters or words.

Dense paragraphs: Large blocks of unbroken text appear daunting and cause Jade to lose focus.

Low contrast: Light-coloured text on a light background or dark on dark made reading even more difficult for Jade.

Inconsistent navigation: If the menu structure is not transparent or is different from one page to another, this adds an additional burden to Jade's workload.

Things that work for Jade

Readable fonts: Jade will prefer simple sans-serif font types—like Arial or Verdana—because they are unchallenging to read; that is, they require little thinking to discern the letterforms.

Short paragraphs separated by spaces: The text is more comprehensible because of the short sentences and the great spacing between each.

High contrast: The high contrast between the text and background would not give Jade too much trouble catching the content. Predictable navigation: Such a layout does not create any kind of labyrinth so that Jade doesn't get lost and frustrated on the site.

Fun Fact

Jade looks at problems from a different perspective; Jade often sees creative solutions that might elude others, so don't expect them to sit still for long blocks of text.

Why Dyslexia Web Accessibility Matters for Everyone

By creating an easily navigable website for people with dyslexia, such as Jade, one caters to everyone. In other words, readability of content, clear navigation, and well-organized content will make the overall experience much more pleasant and improve engagement and accessibility across all users.

Jade's Must-Do Checklist for Dyslexia-Friendly Websites

(WCAG Focus: Perceivable, Understandable, Operable)

1. Use Readable Fonts (WCAG 1.4.8): Stick to simple, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana, avoiding decorative or script fonts.
2. Break Up Text (WCAG 1.4.12): Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and ample line spacing to improve readability and focus.
3. Ensure High Contrast (WCAG 1.4.3): Maintain a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between text and background to make the content easier to read.
4. Use Visual Cues (WCAG 1.4.1): Highlight key points with bold text or color to help Jade quickly identify important information.
5. Offer Clear Navigation (WCAG 2.4.4): Keep the navigation structure predictable, using clear labels and consistent menus across all pages.