How can you make your mobile app dyslexia-friendly?

1 Choose the right font

The font you use for your app can have a big impact on how easy or hard it is for people with dyslexia to read. Some fonts are more dyslexia-friendly than others, because they have clear shapes, consistent spacing, and minimal visual noise. For example, fonts like Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, and Dyslexie are often recommended for people with dyslexia, because they have these features. Avoid fonts that are too fancy, small, or irregular, such as Comic Sans, Times New Roman, or Gothic.

2 Use color and contrast wisely

Color and contrast can also affect how people with dyslexia perceive your app. Color can help to create visual interest, highlight important information, and differentiate between elements. However, color can also cause problems if it is too bright, too similar, or too distracting. For example, red and green can be hard to distinguish for people with color blindness, and yellow and white can cause glare and eye strain. Contrast can help to make your text more readable, but too much contrast can also create visual noise and make your text appear to move or vibrate. For example, black and white can be too harsh and cause visual stress. A good rule of thumb is to use a dark text on a light background, or a light text on a dark background, with a moderate contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.

3 Simplify your layout and navigation

The layout and navigation of your app can also influence how people with dyslexia interact with it. A simple and intuitive layout can help to reduce the cognitive load and make your app easier to use. Avoid cluttering your app with too many elements, buttons, menus, or pop-ups. Use clear and consistent labels, icons, and headings to guide your users. Provide feedback and confirmation when users perform an action, such as tapping, swiping, or scrolling. Make sure your app supports both portrait and landscape modes, and adapts to different screen sizes and orientations.

4 Offer alternatives and options

Another way to make your app dyslexia-friendly is to offer alternatives and options for your users. For example, you can provide audio or video content instead of text, or allow users to adjust the text size, font, color, and contrast according to their preferences. You can also use text-to-speech or speech-to-text features to help users with reading or writing. You can also enable subtitles, captions, or transcripts for your audio or video content. Moreover, you can allow users to customize your app settings, such as notifications, sounds, vibrations, or gestures.

5 Test your app with real users

The final tip to make your app dyslexia-friendly is to test it with real users. This can help you to identify any issues, bugs, or improvements that you might have missed. You can also get feedback and suggestions from your users, and learn more about their needs, preferences, and expectations. You can use various methods to test your app, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or usability testing. You can also use tools like analytics, heatmaps, or screen recordings to monitor and measure your app performance.

By following these tips, you can make your mobile app dyslexia-friendly, and benefit from a wider and happier user base. Remember, dyslexia is not a disability, but a diversity. By embracing it, you can create a more inclusive and accessible app for everyone.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?