Communicating with Dyslexic people

harriet.birt.co.uk

If one in ten people in the population are dyslexic then the chances of employing someone with these difficulties is high and will be even higher when considering your customer base. Sometimes it is good to be reminded on how best to communicate with these audiences.

Here are some tips on how best to engage them:-

WRITING STYLE

  • Use pictures and images instead of words
  • Give words a visual emphasis with flowcharts and mind maps
  • Use short simple sentences in direct style
  • Avoid long sentences of explanation
  • Use active rather than passive voice

LAYOUT

  • Align text to the left
  • Preferable to use 1.5 line spacing
  • Use bullet points or numbering like this rather than continuous prose

FONT

  • Use plain, evenly spaced font e.g. Sans Serif, Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic or Trebuchet tend to be much easier on the eye
  • Use dark coloured text on a light background
  • Use 12 – 14 point font size

HEADINGS & EMPHASIS

  • Italics can be confusing to read
  • Try to avoid underlining text
  • Keep to lower case text avoiding BLOCK capitals where possible
  • By using bold text, text in boxes and borders around text makes things easier

MEDIA

  • Avoid using black type on white background
  • Use cream or pastel shade backgrounds instead – these are much easier to read
  • When printing use paper which is thick enough to prevent other side showing through