By Jessica Love

This is the second in a three-part series highlighting accessibility and writing across the curriculum. Professors can adapt their writing to meet the needs of students with dyslexia. By making the style and formatting choices discussed in this blog, writers can make reading easier for readers with dyslexia. 

Many post-secondary students are affected by dyslexia. It is one of the most commonly reported disabilities in university settings. According to researchers at the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity (2017), around 20% of the United States’ population is affected by dyslexia, and dyslexia makes up 80% of documented learning disabilities. Dyslexia is a natural neurobiological variation; it means the brain is wired differently for language processing than in neurotypical individuals. Students with dyslexia can struggle significantly with reading as a result of this different wiring, but the International Dyslexia Foundation notes that “dyslexia has no relationship to intelligence. Individuals with dyslexia are no more or less intelligent than the general population” (2025, para. 2). Each student experiences dyslexia in their own way, but there are some common descriptors of what dyslexia feels like (Office of the Student Advocate, 2024). People with dyslexia describe it as feeling as if the words are swimming on the page when they try to read. Other common descriptions include getting words confused easily, reports of slow reading rates, needing to re-read frequently, trouble moving from left to right, and problems with memory and concentration (British Dyslexia Association, n.d.). Audiobooks often help with reading comprehension, but in cases where students must read with their eyes, there are steps writers can take to improve reading comprehension.

Font Considerations

Some individuals with dyslexia claim that specific fonts can help improve reading fluency, but the evidence on fonts is mixed. The typical recommendation is to use sans serif fonts that don’t have ticks and tails that can sometimes obscure the letters with font size between 12 and 14 points (Laddusaw & Brett, 2019). This includes fonts like Calibri and Verdana. Fonts designed specifically for dyslexic readers are also available for purchase, including Dyslexie and OpenDyslexic. Studies on these products suggest that these specialty fonts may not increase fluency. In a 2017 study, Wery and Diliberto examined reading rate and accuracy in elementary aged students using OpenDyslexic font compared to Arial font. They found no improvement for reading rate and accuracy for students using OpenDyslexic font rather than Arial (Wery & Diliberto, 2017). Current research indicates that dyslexic readers read better with sans serif fonts, not because they are dyslexic, but because sans serif fonts are easier for everyone to read regardless of disability status. When possible, increasing the space between both letters and words can help with comprehension (British Dyslexia Association, 2014). The current status of research on the topic is that using a standard sans serif font is a good standard practice to support readers with dyslexia.  

Layout Considerations

Writers can consider layout features to ease the visual load of readers with dyslexia. The best advice on layout comes from the British Dyslexia Association’s Dyslexia Style Guide (2014). Some key considerations from the guide include: using a cream-colored background rather than stark white, avoiding underlining, italics, and block capitals, justifying writing to the left with 1.5 or larger spacing, and trying to avoid dense paragraphs in favor of bullet points or numbered lists when possible (British Dyslexia Association, 2014). Similar to font style, these layout considerations have the benefit of being helpful for all readers and not just those with dyslexia.

Grammar and Style Choices

An effective way to make written communication more accessible for readers with dyslexia is to simplify grammar and style when possible. Short, concise sentences are easier to process (British Dyslexia Association, 2014). Use active voice and keep subjects and verbs right next to each other in a sentence (Web Accessibility Initiative, 2026). If possible, write sentences with strong predictability (Laffar-Smith, 2017). An example of an unpredictable sentence is: “The sky was a clear magenta.” Our brains do not logically predict a sky being magenta. We would, however, be able to predict that a sky is “blue” so, “The sky was a clear blue” has higher predictability than the previous sentence. Higher predictability sentences are easier to process and read. Stylistically, aim for clear, concise, direct and simple writing over flowery prose.

Final Notes on Accessibility

Some final considerations include accessibility tools that can help students with dyslexia be successful with reading and writing. Speech-to-text software can help with writing and screen readers are helpful with reading. When creating written course materials, ensure the materials can be read by screen readers (Shaw & Anderson, 2017). Provide visual representations of the material such as infographics and flow charts (British Dyslexia Association, 2014). These tools can help with student success in the classroom. 

As educators, you can also assess your own writing for readability. Microsoft Word has an assessment feature that will check the readability of your document. It is found under “Editor” and then “Document Stats” and Microsoft has tutorials available on how to use this feature (Microsoft, 2026). Another option is the Flesch Reading Ease score which scores your writing on a scale of 0 to 100 with 100 being the most readable (Child, 2026). The score then aligns with a reading level called the Flesch Kincaid Grade Level that assesses readability at different learning stages from Kindergarten to Post-Graduate (Child, 2026). You can access a free Flesch Readability Calculator here (Good Calculators, 2026). Combining Microsoft’s readability statistics and the Flesch Readability Calculator allows educators to assess the readability of their writing easily and effectively.   

Research on dyslexia and the best way to support dyslexic students will continue to evolve. So will the tools we have available to use in the classroom and in our writing to make reading easier for everyone. This blog presents a good starting point for you to kick off the new year with new strategies to make your writing more accessible for your dyslexic readers. And my final example for you is a revised version of this blog post using dyslexia friendly strategies you can read here.

References

British Dyslexia Association. (2014). BDA dyslexia style guide. https://www.thedyslexia-spldtrust.org.uk/media/downloads/69-bda-style-guide-april14.pdf

British Dyslexia Association. (n.d.). Signs of dyslexia (adult). https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/adults/am-i-dyslexic/signs-of-dyslexia

Child, D. (2026). What is the Flesch-Kinkaid grade level? Readable. https://readable.com/readability/flesch-reading-ease-flesch-kincaid-grade-level/

Good Calculators. (2026). Flesch Kinkaid calculator. https://goodcalculators.com/flesch-kincaid-calculator/ 

International Dyslexia Foundation. (2025). Dyslexia at a glance. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-glance/

Laddusaw, S., & Brett, J. (2019). Dyslexia-friendly fonts: Using OpenDyslexic to increase exhibit success. College and Research Libraries News, 80(1). https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17530/19334

Laffar-Smith, R. (2017). What makes books dyslexia-friendly? Aulexic. https://www.aulexic.com.au/what-makes-books-dyslexia-friendly/

Microsoft. (2026). Get your document’s readability and level statistics. Microsoft. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/get-your-document-s-readability-and-level-statistics-85b4969e-e80a-4777-8dd3-f7fc3c8b3fd2

Office of the Student Advocate. (2024). Dyslexia guidebook.  https://studentadvocate.dc.gov/dyslexiaguide

Shaw, S.C.K., & Anderson, J.L. (2017). Twelve tips for teaching medical students with dyslexia. Medical Teacher, 39(7), 686–690. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2017.1302080

Web Accessibility Initiative. (2026). Using a simple tense and voice. Supplemental Guidance to WCAG 2. https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG2/supplemental/patterns/o3p02-simple-tense/

Wery, J., & Diliberto, J. (2017). The effect of specialized dyslexia font, OpenDyslexic, on reading rate and accuracy. Annals of Dyslexia, 67, 114-127, DOI: 10.1007/s11881-016-0127-1The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. (2017). Dyslexia FAQs. https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/dyslexia-faq/

---

About the Author: Jessica Love is a full-time faculty member in the Department of English and Rhetoric at Purdue University Global. Her body of research primarily focuses on higher education, student support, writing, and disability.