Towards Universally Accessible Typography: A Review of Research on Dyslexia

Within the last decade, especially the last two years, there has been a great deal of research regarding the effect that typography has on the readability and accessibility of text for individuals with dyslexia This research provides new insights into specific typographic features such as font size, letter spacing, line length, line spacing, font type (i.e., serif versus sans serif and roman versus italic), and specialized fonts for individuals with dyslexia. All of this work provides a framework for better understanding the basis behind the personal observations and preferences of many individuals with dyslexia, and presents opportunities to develop new guidelines for accessible typography. This paper will discuss how this new research fits in with existing theories of dyslexia, its implications for the development of universally accessible typography, and future research directions.