A video recording of this webinar is available at www.youtube.com/abilitynet Did you know: - There are at least 6 million people with dyslexia in the UK - It has a severe effect on as many as 4 million people There are many ways that web designers, app developers and others involved in digital design can help people with dyslexia. This webinar reviews some of the common issues people with dyslexia face in our digital world and present solutions that can be used in many different situations. The session is delivered AbilityNet's Head of Digital Inclusion Robin Christopherson and Joe Chidzik, a Senior Accessibility Consultant at AbilityNet.

1. Dyslexia and Digital Design
AbilityNet Webinar
11 November 2014
AbilityNet Accessibility Services www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars

2. Welcome
Joe Chidzik
AbilityNet
Robin Christopherson
AbilityNet
Mark Walker
AbilityNet
AbilityNet Accessibility Services www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars

3. Dyslexia and Digital Design
6 million reasons to think about digital design
A user-centred approach
The business case
Multi-platform – web, app, email, paper…
Issues faced by people with Dyslexia
Design challenges it presents
Common solutions
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4. AbilityNet
Adapting Technology. Changing Lives.
Accessibility Services
• Accessibility Audits
• User testing
• Consultancy
• Accreditation
• Training
Workplace Assessment Services
Free IT Support for
Disabled People
My Computer My Way
Tech4Good Awards
AbilityNet Accessibility Services www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars

5. What is Dyslexia?
Wikipedia:
• Dyslexia, or developmental reading disorder, is characterised
by difficulty with learning to read fluently and with accurate
comprehension despite normal or above-average intelligence
• Dyslexia is the most common learning difficulty and most recognised
reading disorder
Related issues include Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia
It is estimated that it affects at least 6 million people in the UK, 4 million
of those severely
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6. What is the Impact?
1. For the individual trying to use your service:
• Reading
• Comprehension
• Time needed to complete tasks
2. For your team building digital services and tools:
• Like most accessibility issues these can be addressed through
good usability practice
• But there are some dyslexia-specific issues, especially
vocabulary, colour and layout
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7. Digital design in practice
1. Who?
• Content creation – editorial, marketing, brand owners
• Designers – graphics, look and feel, navigation, layout, user
experience
• Developers – the code that makes it work
2. What?
• Websites – multi-platform
• Apps
• Documents – esp PDFs
• Guidelines
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8. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes
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www.webaim.org/simulations/dyslexia

9. Simulators and other tools
Video showing different aspects of
Dyslexia
• www.youtube.com/abilitynet
Readability test
• juicystudio.com/services/readabil
ity.php#readingresults
AbilityNet Accessibility Services www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
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10. Editorial and content issues
1. Structure
• Edit and organise content carefully
2. Context
• Don’t rely on the content on the page
• Offer downloads and/or printed versions
3. Vocabulary
• Needs clarity and careful use of language
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11. Designing for Dyslexia
Look and feel:
1. Fonts
• Consider style and size, don’t disable pinch zoom
2. Colours
• Readability, legibility, colour contrast, allow user controls
3. Layout
• White space, line spacing, consistent navigation
Give the user control
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12. Manchester City Council
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13. Designing for Dyslexia
But also…
4. Accepting user input
• esp forms and associated error messages
5. Time dependent functionality
• Eg forms, layout, labels, carousel
6. Accessibility features and help
• Dyslexia-specific style sheet
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14. Testing is vital
1. A user-centred approach is key
• Ask within the team working on the project?
2. When?
• Paper-based mock-ups
• Consultants can review wireframe
• Users usually involved in latter half of process
3. Review feedback across team
• Can be all sorts of issues raised
• Often fairly simple eg location of next and back buttons
AbilityNet Accessibility Services www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
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15. Useful links
1. AbilityNet Factsheets
2. WebAim simulator
3. British Dyslexia Association
4. ISC Guidelines from 2002
wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Ten_Guidelines_for_Improving_Accessibility_for_People_with_Dyslexia
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16. Questions
Please use the Questions box on GotoWebinar
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17. Contact Us
sales@abilitynet.org.uk
robin.christopherson@abilitynet.org.uk
+44 (0) 1926 465 247
@abilitynet
Future webinars: www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
AbilityNet Accessibility Services www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars