Since 2018, Dyslexie Font has collaborated with the HOI Foundation to organize the Dutch Week of Dyslexia every first week of October. Our aim is to alter perceptions of neurodiversity and dyslexia by providing information to dyslexic individuals, parents, children, teachers, and businesses.
ACCES
SIBLE
READ
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WHAT MAKES AN DIFFERENCE
I have dyslexia, and because of that, I’ve struggled with reading and writing my entire life — and I’m far from the only one. Around 10% of the global population has dyslexia, which means millions of people. And beyond dyslexia, there are many others: people who are neurodiverse, and people with visual impairments, and older adults who also struggle with the medium of text.
THE IMPACT OF EXCLUSION
Dyslexia falls under the neurodiverse spectrum — and in reality, we all do struggling with reading and writing text. And this has massive consequences in our life. It affects your school choices, your career path, your self-confidence. Your vocabulary stays behind, even though your intelligence doesn’t. And those around you are often quick to point out what you do wrong.
Reading costs a lot of energy when it’s not automatic — and when the formatting is wrong, it becomes even harder to concentrate and understanding what you’re reading. Reading can makes people physically ill. Like reading in a moving car: headaches, nausea, eye strain, migraines. Some people get so frustrated they just give up reading entirely. Many develop anxiety or trauma (often undiagnosed PTSD) from being forced to read every day in a world where “everyone else can.” And yes — some even reach the point where they no longer want to go on. That’s harsh, yes. But it’s the truth. And it’s why every bit of help matters.
Make a big difference with accessible text design
Every time I explain why text formatting needs to change, someone says, “Is that really necessary? It’s fine the way it is.” As if accessibility is a burden. Since 2008, I’ve worked daily to make text more readable for publishers, businesses, municipalities, ministries, app developers, dyslexia organizations, and professionals in the dyslexia field who want to improve the readability of their content. Sometimes I advise, sometimes I design it myself for them.
With Eye-tracking you can see what the eyes do — and what the brain needs for understanding the text
Eye-tracking shows exactly what happens when we read — and what the brain needs to understand a sentence. Our eyes don’t glide smoothly; they jump in steps. In fluent reading, those jumps are evenly spaced and forward-moving. But when something goes wrong — a misread word, a confusing structure — the eyes jump back. You reread, try to understand, and return to where you left off. For people with dyslexia, this happens constantly. It’s exhausting. And the more tired you are, the harder it becomes to stay focused.
Good formatting supports a smooth reading flow. It reduces the need to go back, breaks text into understandable blocks, and helps the brain process what it sees. And this isn’t just true for people with dyslexia — it helps everyone.
What’s the point of a perfect message if no one wants to start reading it? Communication only succeeds when your message actually gets across. And that only happens when people can read it — without barriers. With just a few simple adjustments, you can help around 80% of neurodiverse readers better understand your text — without bothering neurotypical readers. In fact, they benefit too.
In this blog series, I’ll walk you through the design elements that make the biggest difference in readability. Not just what to change, but why it works — so you can experience it yourself.
