Why This Site Now Has an OpenDyslexic Switch

At the top of every page there’s now a button labelled dyslexia font. Press it and the whole site switches to OpenDyslexic. Press it again and it switches back. Your choice is remembered, so you only have to set it once.

I’ve written before about how I work with dyslexia, so I won’t go over that again here. This post is about the font itself and why I wanted it on my own site.

What OpenDyslexic is

OpenDyslexic is a free, open source typeface made to help with some of the common difficulties dyslexic readers have. Its letters have heavy, weighted bottoms, so it’s always clear which way up a letter is. That can stop your brain flipping or rotating them. Each letter also has its own distinct shape, which can help stop letters getting flipped or swapped, and the spacing between letters is wider than in most fonts.

It’s released under the SIL Open Font License, which means anyone can use it for free, for personal, educational or commercial work. That’s how I’m able to include it here.

Why I added it

I use OpenDyslexic myself, so it felt right that my own site should be comfortable to read for people like me. A lot of what I write here is long, technical guides, and that’s exactly the kind of reading that takes more effort when you’re dyslexic.

Why it’s a switch and not the default

Fonts help people in different ways. OpenDyslexic works for me, but it won’t suit everyone, so rather than forcing it on every visitor, it’s there when you want it.

When it’s on, code snippets and the terminal style illustrations stay in a normal monospace font. Code relies on every character lining up, and copying a command should give you exactly what you see.

The font files only download when you turn the switch on, so the site stays just as quick for everyone else.

Support the project

OpenDyslexic is made and kept up to date by Abbie Gonzalez, and it’s improved over time based on feedback from dyslexic users and teachers. I really appreciate the work that goes into it, and I’m happy to support it by pointing people its way.

If it helps you too, you can download it for your own computer, phone or e-reader from opendyslexic.org. It’s free, but the site has options to support the project through Patreon or a one-off donation if you’d like to help cover its running costs.