6 Surprising Bad Practices That Hurt Dyslexic Users

Web acces­si­bil­ity doesn’t only extend to colour blind users, but also dyslexic users.

Dyslexia is a perception or learn­ing dis­abil­ity that impairs a person’s flu­ency or accu­racy in reading, writing, and spelling. Web page design­ers can help dyslexic users read text more flu­ently and accu­rately by under­stand­ing and avoid­ing the bad design prac­tices that hurt dyslexic users. See­ing things from their eyes can give them a bet­ter per­spec­tive on why acces­si­ble design is so important.

When dyslexic users read text, some­times they can expe­ri­ence visual dis­tor­tion effects. These effects vary in degree from per­son to per­son, but they can make read­ing text that much harder.

Below are six bad prac­tices that are likely to cause these visual dis­tor­tion effects for dyslexic users. Although these bad prac­tices can also make read­ing dif­fi­cult for non-dyslexic users, the effect they have on dyslexic users is much worse.

River effect

Dyslexic users may some­times see the river effect in the text they’re read­ing. This is when large gaps occur within con­sec­u­tive lines of text. It can often look like a river of white­space flow­ing down the page, which can make read­ing flu­ently and accu­rately dif­fi­cult. There are a cou­ple bad prac­tices that make the river effect happen.

1. Jus­ti­fied text

When you use jus­ti­fied text, you’re not only mak­ing text dif­fi­cult to read for non-dyslexic users, but even more so for dyslexic users. Jus­ti­fied text cre­ates large uneven spaces between let­ters and words. When these spaces line up above one another, a dis­tract­ing river of white­space promi­nently appears [4]. This can cause dyslexic read­ers to lose their place repeat­edly. You can avoid cre­at­ing the river effect by using left aligned text, instead of jus­ti­fied text for your para­graphs.

2. Dou­ble spac­ing after periods

Most of us were taught to dou­ble space after peri­ods at the end of a sen­tence. This prac­tice orig­i­nates from the type­writ­ing days of the past. Because type­writ­ers used mono­spaced fonts, peo­ple thought that dou­ble spac­ing after peri­ods would make the end of sen­tences more dis­tinct. How­ever, on the web, sin­gle spac­ing after peri­ods are enough because most web­sites use pro­por­tion­ally spaced fonts. Dou­ble spac­ing after a period can cre­ate “rivers” within text that make it dif­fi­cult for users to find the end of sen­tences. On the web, sin­gle spac­ing wins.

Blur effect

Another kind of visual dis­tor­tion effect that can occur among dyslexic users is the blur effect. This is when dyslexic read­ers experience their text blur­ring or swirling or both together. This can sig­nif­i­cantly affect a dyslexic user’s read­ing abil­ity, and make read­ing very tir­ing for them. You can lessen this effect by avoid­ing a cou­ple of bad practices.

3. Pure black text on a pure white background

There’s a rea­son the text you’re read­ing now is not pure black (#000000), and the back­ground that it’s on is not pure white (#FFFFFF). It’s because many dyslexic users are sen­si­tive to the bright­ness of pure black text on a pure white back­ground due to its high con­trast. This can cause the words to swirl or blur together. To avoid this, use a slightly off-white color for your back­ground, like a light gray. You can also use a dark gray for your text instead of a pure black to cut the glare even more.

4. Long blocks of unbro­ken paragraphs

Long blocks of unbro­ken para­graphs are hard for non-dyslexic users to read, but even harder for dyslexic read­ers. It’s easy for dyslexic read­ers to lose their place with long para­graphs. That’s why it’s bet­ter to use short para­graphs that express one idea. This is because dyslexic users need more breaks between ideas than non-dyslexic users. Break­ing up your text to one idea per para­graph makes read­ing a lot eas­ier for both dyslexic and non-dyslexic users.

Washout effect

Some­times dyslexic users can expe­ri­ence the washout effect. When this hap­pens, the text looks faint and indis­tinct. This can make read­ing slower and cause dyslexic users to guess what a word is because of the dif­fi­culty see­ing it. To lessen this effect, there are two bad prac­tices you should avoid with your text.

5. Serif fonts

Serif fonts have hooks at the ends of the let­ter strokes. They may look dec­o­ra­tive, but they can cause read­ing prob­lems for dyslexic users. Ser­ifs tend to obscure the shapes of let­ters, mak­ing the let­ters run together. A sans-serif font would allow dyslexic users to see the shapes of let­ters more clearly because they don’t have hooks at the ends of the let­ter strokes. This also increases the spac­ing between let­ters, mak­ing words more dis­tin­guish­able. If you want your users to read your text eas­ily, go with a san-serif font.

6. Ital­i­cised text

Ital­ics are some­times used to high­light text. How­ever, the rea­son you shouldn’t use ital­i­cized text is because they are hard to read. The let­ters have a slightly jagged line com­pared to non-italic fonts. The let­ters also lean over slightly mak­ing it hard for dyslexic users to read words accu­rately. When the text size is small, the text is prac­ti­cally illeg­i­ble. A bet­ter way to high­light is to use bold text because the let­ters are clearer and give bet­ter contrast.

There are many dyslexic users that suf­fer from badly designed web­sites. All of these bad prac­tices are quick and easy to fix. It’s a mat­ter of knowl­edge and under­stand­ing that will get peo­ple to change. Hope­fully, this arti­cle has shed some light on how dyslexic users expe­ri­ence the web, and what design­ers can do to make their read­ing expe­ri­ence better.

[Reference Sources]

1. http://www.angelfire.com/tn3/writing/DesignUsersReadDis.pdf

2. http://clearhelper.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/web-site-design-suggestions-for-people-with-dyslexsia

3. http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/mag35.html

4. http://www.pws-ltd.com/sections/articles/2009/justified_text.html

5. http://irlen.com.sg/irlen.html

6. http://accessites.org/site/2006/11/designing-for-dyslexics-part-3-of-3

7. http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-information/eyes-and-dyslexia.html

8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_(typesetting)

9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_spacing_at_the_end_of_sentences

10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyslexia]

First Aid: Epilepsy Scotland

Simple Partial Seizures

A simple partial seizure could affect the person's movement, smell, taste, hearing, sight, breathing, heart beat, digestion or any mixture of these. They may experience, for example, twitching of an arm and nausea. The person does not lose consciousness and is fully aware of, but cannot control, what is happening.

What to do

• Stay with the person and offer reassurance until the seizure has passed
• Sometimes a simple partial seizure can act as a warning or 'aura' that a second seizure (usually a tonic-clonic or a complex partial seizure) will soon start.
• If this is the case, the person may need help in getting to a quiet and safe place.

Complex Partial Seizures

The person may experience strange or unusual feelings, lose their sense of time and appear distant from who and what is happening around them. This type of seizure can make someone behave in an odd, random or inappropriate way, such as lip smacking, plucking at clothes, moving aimlessly or compulsively around a room. Unlike simple partial seizures, there will be some loss or alteration of consciousness.

What to do

• Gently lead them from any source of danger
• Do not restrain or interfere unnecessarily with the person
• The seizure should be allowed to run its natural course
• Speaking softly and calmly may help
• Offer reassurance afterwards

Absence Seizures (previously known as petit mal)

Absence seizures consist of a brief loss of consciousness and are easily mistaken for daydreaming. The person (usually a child) stops what they are doing, remains motionless, blinks, and stares into space. Soon, the person will recover and may not be aware that a seizure has occurred.

What to do

• Absence seizures are usually very brief and often pass unnoticed
• If you witness an absence seizure stay with the person for a while to make sure they do not suffer any injury
• Tell the person what has happened
• If a child is in the classroom, repeat any information they have missed

Tonic-clonic seizures (previously known as grand mal)

The tonic-clonic seizure is the most widely recognised seizure. The person will lose consciousness and fall to the ground.


The person will stiffen (the tonic phase) and then jerk (the clonic phase).
Breathing may become irregular and as a result the person could turn slightly blue. The person may also make grunting noises, bite their tongue or cheek, or be incontinent.
After a couple of minutes the jerking normally stops and the person will slowly regain consciousness. They may feel groggy, sleepy and confused for some time afterwards and have a headache or aching limbs. How long it takes to feel ok again varies from one person to the next.

What to do

• Keep calm and note the time the seizure starts and how long it lasts
• Clear a space around the person and prevent people from crowding round
• Cushion the person's head with whatever is available
• Loosen any tight clothing round the neck and gently remove glasses (if worn)
• Watch the seizure carefully and if possible let it run its natural course
• Turn the person into the recovery position as soon as the jerking stops
• Be reassuring during the recovery period and tell the person about the seizure
• Stay, if possible, until the person is no longer confused

What not to do

• Do not try to lift or move the person while the seizure is happening unless there is an immediate danger (e.g. they are on a busy road, at the top of stairs, at the edge of water, near a fire or hot radiator)
• Do not try to stop the jerking or restrain the person
• Do not put anything in the person's mouth or between their teeth
• Do not offer the person something to drink until they are fully conscious
• Do not fuss around the person while they are recovering from the seizure

There is no need to call an ambulance unless:

• It is the person’s first seizure
• One seizure follows another without any recovery in between
• The convulsive or jerking part of the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or longer than is usual for the person
• The person has been badly injured

Optical Illusions - Camels in the night

Click on the picture to view more optical illusions

Coloured overlays in the treatment of visual stress

Coloured overlays have been shown to reduce visual stress and increase reading speed by more than 25% in 5% of schoolchildren aged 7-8. 

The increase occurs only when a sufficient number of colours is available from which to choose the optimum, which differs from one individual to another. A variety of controlled trials have shown that placebo effects are not a sufficient explanation for the increase in reading speed.  

Coloured glasses have been shown to reduce headaches in open trials and also in two small-scale trials using a double-masked protocol. The colour optimal for overlays differs from that optimal in lenses. The shade usually has to be selected with precision in order to obtain beneficial results. 

The symptoms of visual stress (visual discomfort and perceptual distortions) and the benefit from colour are sometimes collectively referred to as 'visual stress' (preferred) or 'Meares-Irlen Syndrome', and sometimes as 'Irlen Syndrome' (USA), or (formerly) 'scotopic sensitivity syndrome', a misnomer.

Helen Irlen was one of the first to promote the beneficial effects of coloured filters. Her approach remains controversial. 

The research work described in these pages follows from studies conducted originally in collaboration with members of the Irlen Institute, but subsequently quite independently of this organisation. 

A recent summary of the scientific literature is available.

Unlike some other recent overlays systems, the "Intuitive Overlays" offer a sufficient range of colours and have been shown to increase reading speed. They can be obtained from ioo sales. Cerium Visual Technologies sell similar overlays and Crossbow Education now sell an A4 pack with a sufficient range of overlay colours. 

Suitable techniques for testing with overlays are given in the book "Reading through Colour" (Wiley 2003). You can obtain a complete set of Wilkins' publications , and a selection of other recent relevant papers. 

There is also a set of frequently asked questions (with answers!).

You can also obtain a video entitled "Reading with Colour" in which children talk about their experiences with overlays, and a test with overlays is demonstrated.

There is a set of forms containing suggestions for teachers in high schools and colleges. There is a page of information for optometrists. 

The optometrists who use the Intuitive Colorimeter are listed on the Cerium Visual Technologies website. There is a support e-group for those who suffer from Visual Stress (perceptual distortion and eye-strain, treated with coloured filters).

Shareware software allows computer users to select the colour of the foreground and the background of their computer monitor. There is software compatible with Windows 95 available for download here, and also software compatible with more recent Windows operating systems (Screen Tinter LITE) available for download.

The software is useful because it allows you to adjust the colour when you are working with the application you usually use, but you can also adjust the background colour in recent Windows operating systems by following instructions on how to use the Control Panel.

There is a Society for Coloured Lens prescribers from which a list of prescribers can be obtained. The society members have subscribed to a code of evidence-based conduct.

A Sciart project has explored visual stress from complex images.

You may be interested in a site for information on eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact Arnold Wilkins.

Declaration of interest: The Medical Research Council (MRC) owns the rights to the Intuitive Overlays and Intuitive Colorimeter. Professor Wilkins was employed by the MRC and receives an Award to Inventors, based on royalties.

Dyslexia and Digital Design

It is always interesting when Dyslexia is in the media and at the moment a lot of attention is being given to the new research by The University of Cincinnati and Renee Seward, UC assistant professor of digital design.

The University is employing its design research capabilities to create a 21st century electronic toolkit that hopes to help children with dyslexia.

Seward, presented her project, titled “Reading by Design: Visualizing Phonemic Sound for Dyslexic Readers 9-11 Years Old,” at the Southwest International Reading Association Regional Conference in Oklahoma City, on Feb. 5, 2010.

The project was inspired by the struggles of a friend’s child to read and Seward’s own exploration of the topic, wherein she learned that one out of five children have some form of dyslexia.

She found that “The child is able to read the letter ‘b.’ He or she is unable to quickly recall that we associate that symbol with the sound, ‘buh.

“In my work,” said Seward, “I want to deemphasize the 26 letters of the alphabet and emphasize the 44 common sounds of the English language.

I do so by helping educators employ children’s senses, from the visual to the kinesthetic.” The toolkit seeks to create a multi sensory onscreen reading experience.

I'm not Stupid - Diagnosing Dyslexia Part 3

I'm not Stupid - Diagnosing Dyslexia Part 2

I'm not Stupid - Diagnosing Dyslexia Part 1

Philosophy for Children: Get Young Minds Racing!

Philosophy can be used to improve teaching and learning, for the lasting benefit of individuals and communities

Philosophy for Children / Communities aims to encourage children (or adults) to think critically, caringly, creatively and collaboratively.

Click on the picture to go to the website

It helps teachers to build a 'community of enquiry' where participants create and enquire into their own questions, and 'learn how to learn' in the process.

Matthew Lipman, creator of the philosophy for children movement, has died. Read this interesting article about him in the New York Times

How to be happy: a psychotherapist's view

Philippa Perry is not a scientist or a psychologist, which always makes me cautious in examining any claims regarding potential results coming from the proposed therapy.

She is a psycho-therapist who writes for the Guardian in the UK and here is an extract from her article on 'How to be Happy'. Judge for yourself if this will be effective and help you in your life.

"I cannot pretend that there is a simple set of instructions that guarantees happiness. We all come from a distinctive combination of genes, and have had a unique set of relationships and experiences that formed us to the shape we are in now; one size does not fit all. But there are underlying principles that can help us.

When it comes to our brains, all humans are born prematurely, as many of the neural pathways in our brains are formed after we are born, and in relationship with our earliest caregivers. If they do a good job, manage to soothe us regularly when we are upset, we eventually internalise this process.

We also need our parents to validate our various moods and mental states in a safe way as we grow up; acknowledging when we are hurt, in pain, or joyful. This allows us to develop all parts of our personalities. If some of our moods are punished or ignored, trouble can arise later on in life.

As you learn together with your earliest caregivers how to regulate your emotions, your brain will be making lots of new pathways that are necessary for you to learn to become comfortable with your emotions and manage them for yourself. 

Your earliest bonds also serve as a model for all subsequent relationships, teaching you to form nourishing, enriching, and mutually beneficial relationships throughout your life. 

The bulk of these neural connections happen before you are two years old. In other words, much of the wiring up that determines how you respond emotionally and conduct relationships, happened pre-verbally. 

The logic, reason and language part of your brain develops so slowly that most of the patterns for how you feel are formed before you can reason with yourself and others.

If your relationship with your early caregivers was less than ideal, or you experienced trauma so shocking it undid the security established in your infancy, it is possible that later on in life you may find yourself in emotional difficulties. 

Although it is too late to have a happier childhood, that doesn't mean you can't be happier in the future. Your brain is fairly plastic and you can make new neural connections to change that chemistry so that you can improve your self-soothing, self-regulation and how you behave in relationships.

How do you do that? There isn't a foolproof prescription – if you are in a downward spiral you need to interrupt that spiral with medication, or a different set of behaviours, or something else. I'm being vague on purpose; what works for me might not work for you. But there are four underlying structures for positive change:

1. A safe, trusting, reliable relationship that is for your sake. Not necessarily a romantic relationship, but a nurturing one (it could be with a therapist, or a teacher). We are formed in relationship – so the easiest way to re-form is in a relationship.

2. Positive stimulation – good stress. Enough to push you to learn new things, but not so much it tips you over into panic. Good stress enables new brain connections to be made and a plastic brain is what you need for personal development and growth. Examples could be learning to play a musical instrument, or a new language.

3. Develop your self-observational side. This is an accepting and non- judgmental part. It acknowledges emotions but gives you space to decide how to act on them. This part listens to and brings together your emotions and your logic. To help, try keeping a diary, or practise meditation, get used to noticing your feelings and thoughts without judgment.

4. A fresh perspective on your personal narrative. Because so much of our self is formed pre-verbally, the beliefs we live by can be covert. It is important to view your life from fresh angles and to let go of fixed ways of defining yourself. You may have beliefs that start with, "I'm the sort of person who . . ." or "I always . . ." these might benefit from a rethink and possibly rewrite with a trusted person or group. 

For example, change a message such as, "I must meet my soulmate before my life can really start" to, "What happens when I notice the negative thoughts I have about other people, but don't act on them – what changes in how I then relate to them and how people relate to me?"

These four processes are a framework for change. The content will always be different for each individual Finding out about that content and how to change it is down to yourself."

Philippa Perry is the author of Couch Fiction, published by Palgrave Macmillan