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6 Ways to Make Your Website Dyslexia-Friendly
Dyslexia is a cognitive disability that has an impact on a person’s ability to read, write, and spell. Experts estimate that about 10% of the population has some degree of dyslexia, which means that website designers need to consider this disability when creating web pages.
Making a website accessible to people with dyslexia can be daunting, but you can take a few simple steps to make it easier for them to read and navigate your website.
Use a Dyslexia-Friendly Font
One of the biggest challenges for people with dyslexia is reading text. They may have difficulty distinguishing between letters and words, making reading a frustrating and time-consuming experience. One way to help make your website easier to read is to utilize a dyslexia-friendly font for text content.
Dyslexia-friendly fonts are purposely designed to be easier to read for people with dyslexia. They have a more distinct letter shape, which makes it easier to differentiate between similar letters like b and d, or p and q. While you may use fonts specifically designed for people with dyslexia like OpenDyslexic and Dyslexie, you may also use widely-available fonts such as 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 tell between different elements on a web page.
By using contrasting colors, you can make it easier for people with dyslexia to read and navigate your website. 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 perception issues, such as red and green.
Provide Clear Navigation
Clear navigation is essential for any website, but it is particularly important for people who have 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 may be difficult to understand.
Use Alternative Text for Images
Images can be an important part of a website, but people who have dyslexia may have difficulty understanding the meaning of an image or interpreting its context.
To make your website more accessible, use alternative text for images. Alt tex tis a brief description of an image that is read aloud by screen readers for people who are visually impaired. By providing alt 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 the 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. Providing audio and video options can make your website more accessible to people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
For example, you could provide audio descriptions of written content or video tutorials that explain complex concepts. You could also provide captions or subtitles for videos, which can help people with dyslexia follow along with 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 provide feedback.
By testing your website with people with dyslexia, you can identify any issues or barriers that may be preventing them from accessing and understanding your content. You can then make the necessary changes to your website to make it more accessible.
Dyslexia-friendly Features for More Inclusive Websites
People with dyslexia often have a hard time reading and understanding online content, particularly if the website is not designed for accessibility. However, you can make your website more friendly for people with dyslexia by following a few simple steps. These steps include using a dyslexia-friendly font, using contrasting text and background colors, and utilizing headers and descriptive links to simplify navigation. You may also add alt text to images, provide users with audio and video options, and engage people with dyslexia to test your website.
By following these steps, your website will be more interactive and inclusive to everyone, including people with dyslexia and similar disabilities.
