Dyslexia Style guide
Readable Fonts
• Use sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Comic Sans, as letters can
appear less crowded. Alternatives include Verdana, Tahoma, Century
Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri, Open Sans.
• Font size should be 12-14 point or equivalent (e.g. 1-1.2em / 16-19 px).
Some dyslexic readers may request a larger font.
• Larger inter-letter / character spacing (sometimes called tracking)
improves readability, ideally around 35% of the average letter width.
If letter spacing is excessive it can reduce readability.
• Inter-word spacing should be at least 3.5 times the inter-letter
spacing.
• Some dyslexic people find that larger line spacing improves
readability. It should be proportional to inter-word spacing; 1.5 / 150%
is preferable.
• Avoid Underlining and italics as this can make the text appear to run
together and cause crowding. Use bold for emphasis.
• Avoid using capital letter and uppercase letters for continuous text.
Lower case letters are easier to read.
Headings and Structure
Use headings and styles to create consistent structure to help people
navigate through your content.
For headings, use a font size that is at least 20% larger than the
normal text. If further emphasis is required, then use bold.
• Use formatting tools for text alignment, justification, indents, lists,
line and paragraph spacing to support assistive technology users.
Add extra space around headings and between paragraphs.
• Ensure hyperlinks look different from headings and normal text.
Colour
• Use single color backgrounds. with black text
Peach RGB(237, 221, 110) #EDD1B0; 14.35:1.
Orange RGB (216, 211, 214) #EDDD6E; 15.17:1.
Yellow RGB(248, 253, 137) #F8FD89; 19.4:1.
Avoid background patterns or pictures and distracting surrounds.
• Use sufficient contrast levels between background and text.
• Use dark colored text on a light (not white) background.
• Avoid green and red/pink, as these colors are difficult for those who
have color vision deficiencies (color blindness).
• Consider alternatives to white backgrounds for paper, computer and
visual aids such as whiteboards. White can appear too dazzling. Use
cream or a soft pastel color. Some dyslexic people will have their own
color preference.
• When printing, use matt paper rather than gloss. Paper should be
thick enough to prevent the other side showing through.
Layout
• Left align text, without justification. This makes it easier to find the
start and finish of each line and ensures even spacing between words.
• Avoid multiple columns (as used in newspapers).
• Write short simple sentences: 60 to 70 characters is optimal.
• Use white space to remove clutter near text and group related
content.
• Break up the text with regular section headings in long documents and
include a table of contents.
Writing Style
• Use active rather than passive voice.
• Be concise; avoid using long, dense paragraphs.
• Write in simple clear language using everyday words.
• Use images to support text. Flow charts are ideal for explaining
procedures. Pictograms and graphics can help to locate and support
information in the text.
• Consider using bullet points and numbering rather than continuous
prose.
• Give instructions clearly.
• Avoid double negatives.
• Avoid jargon and abbreviations where possible; always provide the
expanded form when first used. Provide a glossary of jargon.
