Text formats and web design for visually impaired and dyslexic readers - Clear Text for All

The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) has produced a Clear Print booklet, which contains recommendations for the production of Clear Print for the blind and partially sighted. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) has produced a Dyslexia Style Guide, which covers similar issues. Both focus on producing text, which is clear and therefore more easily read, and there is significant overlap between the two. By comparing the two, a set of specifications for the production of text has been generated. Using the specifications should produce clear text for both dyslexic and visually impaired readers. It should improve readability for all. The text specifications plus additional recommendations from the BDA are considered with respect to an existing set of web site design guidelines for dyslexic readers to produce an enhanced set of guidelines compatible with both. These guidelines are recommended to be followed as standard, both for their benefits to visually impaired and dyslexic readers, promoting accessibility for these groups, and for their potential to improve accessibility for all. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.