GDR Posted…

Hi.

Speaking of typography for the web, I just stumbled across on this old little essay about cross browser legibility. Sorry if you already know, but I did not found reference to such this tecnique in the booklet by Byrne.

Ben Posted…

Unfortunately, the book doesn't make a single reference to one of the biggest issues in web text legibility: dyslexia. As I have learned in the months I've been working for my current employer (which specialises in software for people with dyslexia) fonts on the web are frequently a massive headache for people who have this disability, not least because it has so many different symptoms.

Many of the suggestions made are applicable to making dyslexia-friendly web content, but there are also some additional tips which can help. Certainly using a Serif typeface is not recommended!

I'm tempted to put my thoughts together on this for an article for ALA. Dyslexia is a far bigger issue than I think virtually everyone in the web design/accessibility community give credence. Figures for the UK suggest around one in ten people has some symptoms of dyslexia, with one in four of those people seriously affected by it...

Andreas Posted…

Ben, that's interesting. Do you know of any resources about dyslexia-friendly web content?

Jim Byrne Posted…

Yes you are right, I didn't mention issues related to Dyslexia in the book, but doesn't mean I am not interested in the issues. If you get around to writing your article, be sure to send me a pointer.

All the best, Jim

Ben Posted…

Virtually none, Andreas. The leading figures in pushing for web accessibility haven't really said a lot about it, but I must admit (and shame on me; I've been busy) I've yet to finish reading the copy of Building Accessibile Websites Joe Clark sent me for the W3Remix compo.

If I do get chance to, I'll do a fair bit more research before writing any article, but certainly there are a few things I've learnt which could be useful for web designers. More info will doubtless follow...

Sam Walker Posted…

I realize that it's important for your site to be accesible to disabled people, but isn't banning serif-fonts going a little far?

I don't doubt that serif fonts are hard for dyslexics to read, but isn't that why modern web browsers allow you to assign a default stylesheet? That way everyone is happy – people with no disabilities get to see your site with the style as you intended, and people with dyslexia have a stylesheet set up to override all serif fonts with sans subsitutes, so they're happy as well.

Andreas Posted…

Ben, I just stumbled on Web Design For Dyslexia, which has some very basic guidelines.