The trafficker for a typeface call “ Dyslexie ” take the font can make understand “ easy and enjoyable for people with dyslexia . ” The logical thinking behind the font ’s design is intriguing . But before you get too excited — the scientific grounds suffer Dyslexie ’s utility is far from conclusive .
Created by Dutch designer Christian Boer , Dyslexie has been around for years ( we first write about it back in 2011 ) , but it ’s gotten a lot of press in recent calendar month . In November 2014 , the font featured prominently at the Istanbul Design Biennial , which collect coverage from publications likeUSA Today , NPR , andThe Guardian .
These article , for all intents and use , are interchangeable . Dyslexie , the story goes , contain a number of typographical lineament – e.g. heavy base lines , larger openings , and alternating stick and tail lengths – that supposedly make it hard for the brains of citizenry with dyslexia to rotate , swap , mirror , and otherwise confuse letters while they ’re read . The result typeface is said to make read “ gentle and enjoyable for people with dyslexia . ” The site for the Dyslexie effort call the font “ revolutionary . ”
The trouble with these title is that there ’s no conclusive grounds to back them up . Even the solution of“representative enquiry ” cited on the Dyslexie websitefail to establish a light , significant welfare to scan with Dyslexie .
This selective information was first brought to my attention by Kevin Larson , a cognitive psychologist and fellow member ofthe Microsoft Advanced Reading Technologies group . Studies that have compare the recitation speed of hoi polloi with dyslexia presented with Dyslexie with Arial have found no statistical difference between the two , order Larson . And from a readability standpoint , he gag , “ Arial is n’t even that great a typeface . ”
Larson ’s claim checks out . In 2010 , in her Master ’s dissertation titled“Special Font For Dyslexia?,”Renske de Leeuw compare Dyslexie to Arial in reading tests of dyslexic and non - dyslexic readers . Test subject really read one more word per bit with Arial than Dyslexie ( 80.0 vs 79.0 ) ; and while readers of Arial registered 0.4 more errors per moment ( 1.7 vs. 1.3 ) , neither difference was statistically substantial .
Larson then name me tothis postby Chuck Bigelow – a MacArthur Fellow renowned for his creation of the Lucida typeface family – for his take on composition and dyslexia . Sez Bigelow ( accent added ):
In preparing a literature revaluation on dyslexia and typography for a major font vendor , I surveyed more than fifty scientific papers and books about dyslexia , paying special attention to those with typographic relevance . In the scientific lit , I found no grounds that special dyslexia fonts confer statistically significant improvements in reading amphetamine compared to standard , streamlet - of - the - mill fonts . Some discipline discover that for sure subset of record fault , special dyslexia fonts do reduce error rates for dyslectic readers , yet for other subsets of misplay , special dyslectic fonts were no better , or in some case worse ; hence , the finding on reading errors are interracial .
Bigelow review de Leeuw ’s dissertation in more detail than I have here , and his analysis is well deserving the read . He also dissectsanother , later Master ’s thesis from the University of Twenteby Tineke Pijpker , which examined “ whether a jaundiced background and the special font Dyslexie could improve the reading performance of dyslexics ” :
Again , there was no advance in reading pep pill with the Dyslexie font compared to Arial . Pijpker also talk about read truth comparing the baptistry and background colour . There was no significant difference between Dyslexie and Arial on white backgrounds , but there was a significant advantage for dyslexics of a lower reading level for the Dyslexie font on yellow background knowledge liken to Arial on a yellow background . There were no significant baptismal font or color advantages for high interpretation level dyslexics nor for non - dyslexic readers .
Bigelow points also toa 2013 study byLuz Rello & Ricardo Baeza - Yatesthat equate “ Open Dyslexic ” – another font said to alleviate indication for people with Dyslexia – with Arial , Computer Modern , Courier , Garamond , Helvetica , Myriad , Times , and Verdana . The subject field ’s writer resolve that Open Dyslexic “ did not lead to a better or bad legibility . As in [ De Leeuw ’s thesis ] , OpenDys did not lead to a faster interpretation . ” What ’s more , when field player were asked to rate the typeface fit in to predilection , Open Dyslexic rank dead last :
“ Although it appears that the current crop of special fonts for dyslexia offer little or no advantage , ” says Bigelow , “ there are … a few other studies involve typography and dyslexia that are more promising . ” For those studies ( which canvas the benefits of things like larger type size , myopic line - duration , and increase alphabetic character - spacing),I refer you to Bigelow ’s berth . For now , allow ’s plow our attention back to Dyslexie .
What does the Dyslexie military campaign have to say about these contravene findings?I emailed them to find out . In my email , I cite Pijpker and de Leeuw ’s inquiry , specifically , and notice that the evidence in support of Dyslexie ’s improved legibility seems contradictory . Reprinted here is the Dyslexie campaign ’s reaction :
The Dyslexie typeface is made as a commencement project in 2008 done by Christian Boer . After his commencement he thought only he and the hoi polloi collapse feedback on his intention would expend the font . But overcharge by overconfident chemical reaction of so many hoi polloi with dyslexia we continued to provide the Dyslexie font and this is where it is today . For us it is astonishing that a typeface get so well known and used all over the world by mass with dyslexia or other disablities . Dyslexie font is driven by incontrovertible feedback from our user . We provide the baptistery for free for dwelling drug user so they can slowly assay if they can gain from the Dyslexie baptismal font [ They still betray it to businesses , schools , and publisher – Ed . ] . If you go to the websitewww.dyslexiefont.comusers can interpret the tekst on our web site in the Dyslexie baptistry . They can test read in our baptistry before they have to download it .
It is true though that the upshot of the research are not the same . There are comparisons like they both have a conclusion telling that there is more research required to determine the benefit of our Dyslexie font . safe to know is that the both conclusions are tell us that there are no negative effects for dyslectic or non dyslectic using the font . So aslong our current exploiter are return us the positive feedback we will be glad persist in developing the font .
We agree with the researchers that there must be done more research . We totally support initiative to do more research to set the benefits of the Dyslexie font . So if there are Universities or pupil who would help us clarify if the Dyslexie font can substantial improve indication for dyslectics , please feel detached to adjoin us . We are willing to help as much as needed to get more and more results what can help the mass with dyslexia around the man .
The consequence ? If Dyslexie works for you , great . But call it “ rotatory , ” at this juncture , is matt out shoddy .
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