Publish at May 15 2024 Updated May 15 2024
Understanding our surroundings requires the ability to decode what we see. Someone who has never studied the language or Japanese kanji and is thrust into a village on this island nation would have serious problems grasping what is written and finding their way around. Even asking for information would be complex. This impression is experienced by people every day when consulting documents or websites.
Indeed, individuals with a "dys" disorder (which includes dyslexia, dyspraxia and others) often have great difficulty reading in everyday life. This can be even more problematic at school, where reading is part of the expected daily routine. As this dyslexic web designer explains, so-called neurodivergent people are excellent at trying to hide their comprehension problems until the mask falls off.
The major difficulty with dyslexic and dysorthographic disorders, among others, lies in the sheer quantity of information to be processed. Too many letters or too much information will totally disorientate the reader. As a result, students with dyslexia are often reluctant to read because it seems like torture in a context where they'll understand next to nothing in the end.
When you consider that 7 to 10% of the school population is affected, it seems crucial to provide these learners with the tools they need to become more autonomous in the classroom.
Of course, there are now some interesting solutions for motivating children to read. Audio books can accompany reading by associating the narration with what they see in the book. Digital versions are attractive in that it's easier to adjust the font to make it larger, for example. There are also books now available that have been entirely designed for dyslexic pupils, with adapted typography.
Teachers are not left out either. They can download this typeface, specifically designed for these pupils. In particular, the difference lies in the more obvious spacing between letters and words, optimized alphabetical characters that leave typographic flourishes for clearer symbols, and improved contrast to make them stand out from the background.
If time does not permit the creation of specific material for dyslexic pupils, then it's best to choose sans serif typefaces such as Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma or Lucida. It' s advisable to use a larger font size (14 points or more), increase line spacing, and space between letters and words. A clearer, simpler layout is preferable to pages packed with too much information.
These neurodivergent learners now evolve in a digital world where the Internet has become almost as important as the electricity that keeps the grid running. In fact, since 2012, this has been a fundamental human right recognized by the United Nations. As a result, our Web designer mentioned earlier knows exactly what to do and what not to do when it comes to online ergonomics. For example, the use of long texts in wide columns is to be avoided, as are underlining words, using italics or writing in capital letters.
Choose a sober layout with contrasting colors that don't over-stimulate the reader's mind, who could then lose track. Think about the visual hierarchy, so that everything is clear to the person with Dyslexia: what is the title, the summary, the paragraphs, etc.? The whole question of accessibility also involves, among other things, descriptions of images, clear page names and links that are well described by the text itself. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has put forward a number of guidelines and suggestions that we can all follow.
Net accessibility is an issue for everyone, in all spheres, whether commercial or educational. In fact, standards have been established to indicate whether a site is accessible to all. These are in line with what the WAI is proposing internationally.
Of course, there are costs involved, and it's only natural that schools should be financially unprepared for a complete overhaul of their website or e-learning platform. Nevertheless, knowing the difficulties dys learners have in decoding educational resources, schools can gradually adapt their material so that it is comprehensible to as many pupils as possible.
Image: Vejaa / DepositPhotos
References:
"3 tips for arranging texts and instructions for fragile and/or dyslexic readers." ABC Aider. Last updated: October 11, 2023. https://www.abcaider.fr/3-conseils-pour-amenager-textes-et-consignes-pour-les-lecteurs-fragiles-et-ou-dyslexiques/.
"Inclusive web design: what is web accessibility?" The Media Loop. Last updated: December 7, 2023. https://laboucle.media/sites-applications/conception-web-inclusive-qu-est-ce-que-accessibilite-web/.
Foxwell, Amy. "5 tools for neurodivergent readers, according to experts." ReadSpeaker. Last updated May 5, 2023. https://www.readspeaker.com/blog/neurodivergent-reading/.
Gautier, Etienne. "Interactive design and dyslexia (1/3)." Medium. Last updated July 23, 2023. https://medium.com/@etiennegautier/le-design-interactif-et-la-dyslexie-1-3-8b423ce79351.
Gautier, Etienne. "Interactive design and dyslexia (2/3)." Medium. Last updated July 23, 2023. https://medium.com/@etiennegautier/le-design-interactif-et-la-dyslexie-2-3-11a8a91a6645.
Glasel, Hervé. "Troubles " dys " : " Il est urgent d'inventer des solutions nouvelles adaptées à leur spécificité clinique et pédagogique "." Le Monde.fr. Last updated: October 13, 2023. https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2023/10/13/troubles-dys-il-est-urgent-d-inventer-des-solutions-nouvelles-adaptees-a-leur-specificite-clinique-et-pedagogique_6194114_3232.html.
"Reading for people with "dys" disorders." Apeda. Accessed May 11, 2024. https://www.apeda.be/lecture-dys/.
"Web accessibility: a must for promoting inclusion." Webit Interactive. Last updated January 5, 2024. https://www.webitinteractive.ca/blogue/laccessibilite-web-un-incontournable-pour-favoriser-linclusion.
"The best fonts to use For dyslexics." Poppins. Last updated May 3, 2024. https://www.poppins.io/blog/les-meilleures-polices-a-utiliser-pour-les-dyslexiques.
"The Importance of Special Fonts for Dyslexics." Lexidys. Last updated December 20, 2023. https://blog.lexidys.com/2023/12/20/importance-polices-speciales-personnes-dyslexiques/.
"Navigating neurodiversity: 11 guidelines for designing inclusive web pages." Convention Data Services. Last updated: October 16, 2023. https://www.cdsreg.com/cds-insights/navigating-neurodiversity-guidelines-for-designing-inclusive-web-pages/.
"Writing for web accessibility - tips for getting started." Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Last updated: May 7, 2024. https://www.w3.org/WAI/tips/writing/fr.
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