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OpenDyslexic
Typeface designed to mitigate reading errors caused by dyslexia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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OpenDyslexic is a free typeface/font designed to mitigate some of the common reading errors caused by dyslexia. The typeface was created by Abbie Gonzalez, who released it through an open-source license.[3][4] The design is based on DejaVu Sans, also an open-source font.[citation needed]
Like many dyslexia-intervention typefaces, most notably Dyslexie, OpenDyslexic adds to dyslexia research and is a reading aid. It is not a cure for dyslexia.[5] The typeface includes regular, bold, italic, bold-italic, and monospaced font styles. The benefit has been questioned in scientific studies.[6]
In 2012, Gonzalez explained their motivation to the BBC: "I had seen similar fonts, but at the time they were completely unaffordable and so impractical as far as costs go."[1]
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Integration
The typeface is an optional choice on many websites and formats, including Wikipedia,[a] Instapaper,[1] Kobo eReader,[7] Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, a few children's books,[8][9] and at least one imprint of classic literature.[10]
There is also a Google Chrome extension available,[11][12][4] which was developed by Abbie Gonzalez and Robert James Gabriel.[4][13] It is also part of the "dyslexia-friendly mode" in Oswald Foundation's web accessibility products.[14]
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Scientific studies
Two small studies have investigated the effect of specialized fonts used with students with dyslexia. Rello and Baeza-Yates (2013) measured eye-tracking recordings of Spanish readers (aged 11–50) with dyslexia and found that OpenDyslexic did not significantly improve reading time nor shorten eye fixation.[15] In her master's thesis, Leeuw (2010) compared Arial and Dyslexie with 21 Dutch students with dyslexia and found Dyslexie did not lead to faster reading, but may help with some dyslexic-related errors.[16]
In its Dyslexia Style Guide, the British Dyslexia Association recommends using sans-serif fonts "such as Arial and Comic Sans", where letters can appear less crowded. As alternatives, it recommends Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri, and Open Sans.[17]
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Related typefaces
There are other typefaces and fonts that have been linked to benefits for people with dyslexia including: BBC Reith, Comic Sans, Dyslexie, FS Me, Sassoon and Sylexiad.[18][19][20]
See also
Notes
References
External links
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