6 Ways to Make Your Website Dyslexic Friendly
Dyslexia is a cognitive disability that impacts a person's ability to read, write and spell. Experts estimate that around 10% of the population suffers from dyslexia to one degree or another, which means that web designers must take this disability into account when creating web pages.
Making a website accessible to people with dyslexia can be daunting, but there are a few simple steps you can take to make your website easier to read and navigate.
Use a dyslexia-friendly font
One of the main difficulties encountered by people with dyslexia is reading texts. They may have difficulty distinguishing letters and words, making reading frustrating and time-consuming. To make your website easier to read, you can use a font adapted to dyslexia for the text content.
Dyslexia-friendly fonts are deliberately designed to be easier to read for people with dyslexia. They have a more distinct letter shape, making it easier to differentiate between similar letters like b and d, or p and q. You can use fonts specifically designed for people with dyslexia like OpenDyslexic and Dyslexie, but you can also use widely used fonts like Comic Sans.
Use contrasting colors
Another way to make your website more accessible to people with dyslexia is to use high contrast colors. Dyslexia can affect a person's ability to perceive colors, making it difficult to distinguish between different elements on a web page.
By using contrasting colors, you can make your website easier to read and navigate for people with dyslexia. For example, black text on a light yellow background, or vice versa. Avoid using similar colors, such as light yellow and white, or combinations that are not visible to people with color vision problems, such as red and green.
Provide clear navigation
Clear navigation is essential for any website, but it is especially important for people with dyslexia. Dyslexia can affect a person's ability to understand and remember information, which can make it difficult to navigate a website.
To make your website more accessible to people with dyslexia, provide clear and concise navigation. Use descriptive text for links and buttons, and organize your content into clear categories. Avoid using complicated menus or navigation structures that are difficult to understand.
Use alt text for images
Images can be an important part of a website, but people with dyslexia may have difficulty understanding the meaning of an image or interpreting its context.
To make your website more accessible, use alt text for images. Alt text is a brief description of an image that is read aloud by screen readers for visually impaired people. By providing alternative text, you can help people with dyslexia understand the meaning of an image and its context within the web page. It can also help people who use screen readers understand content without being able to view the image.
Provide audio and video options
Some people with dyslexia may find it easier to understand information when it is presented in an audio or video format. By offering audio and video options, you can make your website more accessible to people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
For example, you can provide audio descriptions of written content or video tutorials that explain complex concepts. You can also provide subtitles for videos, which can help people with dyslexia follow the content.
Test your website with people with dyslexia
Finally, the best way to ensure that your website is accessible to people with dyslexia is to test it with them. There are many online resources and communities where you can find people with dyslexia who are willing to test your website and give you feedback.
By testing your website with people with dyslexia, you can identify issues or barriers that prevent them from accessing and understanding your content. You can then make the necessary changes to your website to make it more accessible.
Features adapted to dyslexia for more inclusive websites
People with dyslexia often have difficulty reading and understanding content online, particularly if the website is not designed to be accessible. However, you can make your website more user-friendly for people with dyslexia by following a few simple steps. These include using a dyslexia-friendly font, using contrasting text and background colors, and using descriptive headers and links to simplify navigation. You can also add alt text to images, give users audio and video options, and encourage people with dyslexia to test your website.
By following these steps, your website will be more interactive and accessible to everyone, including people with dyslexia and other similar disabilities.