It is certainly received wisdom that serif fonts are better/more
comfortable for normal readers for continuous text. But I don't know
what research this is based on, or whether it applies, for example, to
computer screens (and if so at what resolutions).
As a non-dyslexic person who reads a lot of writing that is intended to
be dyslexia friendly, I really don't think that I suffer ... Conceivably
visual scanning is slightly slower because the type is bigger. My main
anxiety is for the extra trees that the larger fonts and line spacing
destroy!
We have information about dyslexia friendly fonts at
http://www.dyslexic.com/articles.php?artid=11. But there's plenty more
we'd like to know. Research has been carried out on fonts for dyslexia,
but mostly in small and limited studies.
Regards
Ian Litterick
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support
> staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Annette
> Davidson (csaad)
> Sent: 31 July 2002 13:25
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Accessible fonts
>
>
> Hi All,
>
> I've just been informed by a colleague that although sans
> serif fonts are helpful for students with dyslexia they are a
> disadvantage for everyone else. He claimed research had been
> done which supported this but of course didn't tell me by
> whom. We've been producing our paperwork in size 14 sans
> serif font for years now - usually Arial or Verdana .Have I
> been unwittingly causing problems? Does anyone know if my
> colleague is right?
>
> Annette Davidson
> Adviser to Students with Disabilities
>
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