I'm often asked about helpful technology resources for dyslexic learners. There are many awesome resources out there and one of the easiest to start with is an extension called OpenDyslexic. This specific font was created to increase readability for readers with dyslexia.
The overview of the OpenDyslexic extension in the Chrome Web Store explains the reasoning behind the font:
"Your brain can sometimes do funny things to letters. OpenDyslexic tries to help prevent some of these things from happening. Letters have heavy weighted bottoms to add a kind of "gravity" to each letter. You are able to quickly figure out which part of the letter is down because of this feature. It aids in recognizing the correct letter, and sometimes helps to keep your brain from rotating them around. Consistently weighted bottoms can also help reinforce the line of text. The unique shapes of each letter can help prevent confusion through flipping and swapping."
Once the extension is downloaded and turned on, it will automatically override all fonts on any web page with the OpenDyslexic font for easier readability!
The overview of the OpenDyslexic extension in the Chrome Web Store explains the reasoning behind the font:
"Your brain can sometimes do funny things to letters. OpenDyslexic tries to help prevent some of these things from happening. Letters have heavy weighted bottoms to add a kind of "gravity" to each letter. You are able to quickly figure out which part of the letter is down because of this feature. It aids in recognizing the correct letter, and sometimes helps to keep your brain from rotating them around. Consistently weighted bottoms can also help reinforce the line of text. The unique shapes of each letter can help prevent confusion through flipping and swapping."
Once the extension is downloaded and turned on, it will automatically override all fonts on any web page with the OpenDyslexic font for easier readability!
To add the extension to a computer or Chromebook, download the extension in the Chrome Web Store. Once the extension has been added to your browser, click the icon and slide the grey circle over to turn the extension on. Once it is activated, text on any webpage will be converted to the OpenDyslexic font.
To turn the extension off, just click the icon again and move the turquoise circle back to the left. The web page should automatically default back to the original font.
