Dyslexia: Myths, Misunderstandings and Solutions

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities worldwide, affecting millions of readers across languages and cultures. Yet, despite this prevalence, mainstream design practices struggle to effectively address dyslexic readers.

Research continues to demonstrate that dyslexia is a set of complex cognitive differences shaped by neurological, genetic, and contextual factors. The complexity of these findings makes them hard to disseminate, especially when it comes to design practice. This leaves many designers uncertain about what the needs of dyslexic readers actually are, and in the absence of clear guidance, unsubstantiated claims often circulate, reinforcing myths rather than evidence-based solutions.

In this lecture, presented at ATypI 2026 Stanford, I examine the current state of the art in dyslexia research. This dive into the literature provides a solid ground for the best typographical interventions, together with a review of myths and hard-to-replicate solutions that populate the field.

The lecture also served as the launching pad of the first suite of documentation for Accessibility Tools. This documentation aims to bridge the gap in knowledge between research and design, showcasing the latest findings in an easy to understand format: an accessible but rigorous literature review, with good and bad practices in typography and design, case studies, guidelines, recommendations and general information about the disorder. Now, the dyslexia documentation is joined by thorough reviews on Legislation, Wayfinding and Accessibility as a whole, as part of an effort to make Accessibility Tools, an open and user-friendly catalogue of tools, a useful resource for graphic designers to engage with accessibility.