The Savvy Technologist

New typeface combats dyslexia

As a certified typography geek I was very interested to discover the new Read Regular typeface that is designed specifically to address the letterforms that cause difficulty for persons with dyslexia. A quick look at a type sample reveals some significant changes. Two examples: the “b” and “d” letters are no longer mirror images and the “a” looks the way people usually write it. Additional information is available in the background documentation. According to an article in The Guardian at least one textbook manufacturer, Chrysalis Books, is planning to use the new typeface.

No purchasing information is available yet, so it’s unclear how expensive it would be to buy this typeface and install it on a school’s computers. And it should be said that there’s no scientific evidence that the new typeface is actually easier to read. We’ll have to take anecdotal evidence for now.

First seen at the STLI blog.