Its not just V.I.
[edit: this is not meant to offend anyone, nor am I proclaiming my offence. However, there are emotive topics discussed...]
I've had a bit of a rant already on a couple of threads about how dealing with dyslexia, Irlens, and other barriers to accessing content is every bit as important as dealing with the issues faced by users with visual impairments.
I feel like I need to get it off my chest, open a thread so you can all have your say, and also have something on the forum I can link to if I feel the need later.
Re designing for dyslexic users being important: If my maths serves me well, there are more encarserated individuals with good sight but serious literacy deficits/dyslexia, than there are registered blind adults in this country.
Thats right, there's more dyslexics in prison than there are blind people of the same age. And the ones in jail are just the ones who got cought, of the ones thats commit crimes.
This highlights two things. 1) theres a lot of dyslexics out there with access needs. 2) without literacy skills you are MUCH more likely to become a criminal. More than 50% of those in prison have sever literacy difficulties, most of which are dyslexic.
Catering for literacy barriers other than v.i. is just as important as dealing with the needs of the visually impaired users. Wheather you care about the vitims of the crimes they are more likely to commit, the sad lives they must lead to end up in jail, the cost to the country in taxes (about £1 BILLION per year), or all those with serious literacy difficulties who manage to make ends meet without turning to crime. I'm guessing you (anyone reading this) feel strongly about something in that lot. Its not about pandering to preferences - its about meeting a need.
Several times I've seen here and on other forums and lists, that as soon as dyslexia is mentioned, the would 'preferenses', soon fllows. In a sentance likely suggesting that affording 'preferences' (read: needs of dyslexics, illiterate users, users with ESL, etc...) is secondary to 'needs' (read: needs of v.i. users)
This implication and or ethos is not true - nor legally sound with regards to dyslexic needs and the DDA:
| Quote: |
| When the Bill was being debated in parliament, the government made it clear that they thought severe dyslexia was covered under this law. ~ www.BDADYSLEXIA.org.uk |
So, I hope I've made the moral, legal, and social case for treating the needs of dyslexics and others with reading disabilities who are not v.i. Now I'll make the personal case.
I'm dyslexic. I have many copeing strategies and mechanisms. Many of these enable me to do now, what once my cognitive difference precluded. But not everything can be circumvented without technology.
I read ~6-8 times slower than the average adult. This is decpite good schooling, and haveing an IQ well above average. And I am far from lazy. Its midnight on saterday, and I've just finished codeing. And now I'm writing this. I'm a workaholic. So just trying harder REALLY isn't the solution. I've already told of a few first hand experiences I've had that might help folks understand the reall effect dyslexia can have on life. Here's another one:
I once worked in Burger King in the Summer hols at Uni to help pay my way. It was the only work going near my parents, which was where I was staying (again to lighten the finacial burdens). I was nearly sacked. I couldn't read the screen fast enough when the orders came through. I was studying for an Msci in Physics with the Philosophy of Science, and I was being told I wasn't good enough to work at Burger King. Now for most on this forum I expect the notion of working in Burger King is enough to contend with (to be honest it wasn't that bad), but to face dismisal on ground of incompitance!
The reason 50% of the UK prison population is dyslexic, is because if you can't read fast enough to keep a job at Burger King, what else are you going to do? Seriously. What would you do?
Please. Consider the special needs of dyslexia in exactly the same light as you would those of V.I.
</rant>
Now obviously this is very close to my heart as a subject, but I'd love some discussion on this. Don't hold back. If you think I'm wrong tell me why.
[I'm too tired to spell check this now, so will edit for errors in the morning]
Last edited by Phil Teare on 12 Nov 2006 12:38 pm; edited 2 times in total
Share: 
My dad has dyslexia. I take offense that you label dyslexic people as being "MUCH more likely to become a criminal". He runs an honest little metalworking business, making stuff mainly for government research facilities.
Share:
I certainly don't mean to offend. As I've made clear, I'm dyslexic myself. The fact is you are, statistically. Just as you are if you are 'poor', black, illeducated, etc.... But literacy barriers are by far the most comorbid factor in offenders.
These statistics exisit. They are clearly not set in stone (I'm not a criminal), but they are very significant trends. Like I say, 50% of the prison poulation are dyslexic, compared to 5-10% of the public.
There have been several studies to this end. Reid (about 1998 I think) did a pretty good one. And there have been two bigger studies since then showing almost identical figures. Statistics are always a tricky one to deal with. Does this make you feel less offended?
I hope so.
I did ask what you might do as a dyslexic. You've given a good example of the route many dyslexics (like myself for example) go down. Self employment. But this is not easy! filling taxes, keeping books, tracking orders, researching markets, .... It all involves reaing and writing. I've already mentioned in another thread how I found it impossible to fill in my taxes without a screen reader. So it underlines (to me in light of my own experience) that dyslexic needs are needs not preferences (my ownly real point in all this). I think I'm preaching to the converted to you (Cerbera). But yes, you are MUCH more likely to be an entrapeneur if you are dyslexic. I hope saying this evens the ballance out?
Share:
| Phil Teare wrote: |
| So it underlines . . . that dyslexic needs are needs not preferences. |
Share:
| Quote: |
| If that's the point you are trying to make, I think it stands by itself. |
Good. I'm glad you think so. There's always the chance (likelyhood) that I'm being paranoid/have chip on shoulder. But at least twice on this forum and once on another list this week, I've had folk say or imply that dyslexia is a lesser cause. This is NOT 'a go' at those people! Its just me, like I say, getting some things off my chest, but also making a thread to point to, if ever I feel someone is falling into that trap again.
Its not easy to believe in dyslexic needs for many. And maybe this might pursuade a few that the needs are real, and serious.
Thanks for pointing out my wording could cause offence. I've added a note to the OP accordingly
Share:
While we're on the subject:
JackP produced an interesting article on 'Designing For Dyslexia'
http://www.thepickards.co.uk/index.php/200512/designing-for-dyslexia/
which contains a 17-item checklist, gleaned from a variety of sources.
Can you comment on the items listed (from a personal perspective)? And are there any other considerations you feel should be taken into account?
.
Share:
That is an excellent list!!!
Very well done JackP. Thanks for compiling it. It is just about perfect. Right now I can't fault it. I'll have a ponder to see if I can think of anything else worth adding to it.
I would confirn every point on it as being relevant.
I suppose one further suggestion might be (you can probably make this point more succinctly):
- Document Structure: The more elements within a page which distract from the flow of its content, the more difficult it is for the reader to read the content, but also the more likely it is that the reader will miss significant parts thereof.
JackPs already said to include good document structural elements. I'd add to that, that you should try to keep it to just that, especially withing the main content area, but also in the navigation areas if possible.
This is because we spend so long reading, its second nature for us to very quickly visually scan a page and mentaly blacklist areas of it from being given our attention (which is in short supply). Its a bit more complicated than that but I like to offer reasons behind these things.
A small section of differently coloured text with a different font style, is often an aside, or an advert, and will thereby get mentally blacklisted, and not read. for example. But if it is styleistically similar to the rest of the content, it is more likely to get read.
Share:
| Jack Pickard wrote: |
| 14. Columns - Dyslexic people find that the further text is presented from one side of the screen to the other, the more difficult it becomes to read. Ideally a column should be no more than 70-80 characters wide. |
I guess you can't paint everyone with the same brush.
Share:
good point....
Another frustrating thing about dyslexia, is that differing compensation strategies favour different support methods....
Cheers for that feedback, and yes do let us know why he likes the set up you mention. If he's willing to share.
[edit - I would however say that the point 14 should stay, as in genral this is best practice in my experience, not just as a dyslexic, but as someone who's worked in the field for over 7 years now]
Share:
Jacks list closely follows a list I compiled for print guidelines, but I do not claim plagarism 
Cerberas point about his dad using 1600 x 1200 also makes it apparant that not all settings will do for all users. I personally prefer to use a default of 100.1% for all fonts, unjustified text and good contrast, however, the only site I use a different background to White for is the [url-http://www.workstress.net]Stress Network[/url].
One point I would add to is that about images, it helps not to have text down the side of images unless they are small, too short a line can add to reading problems.
Phil, is it Dyslexia or is it illiteracy that affects prisoners
Mike Abbott
Accessible to everyone
Share:
| Quote: |
| Phil, is it Dyslexia or is it illiteracy that affects prisoners |
Good question. The trials I've seen showd good evidence (but not perfectly adequate proof) that it was actually dyslexia that caused the huge dispropotions in the Prison population. i.e. they sat the subjects at psychometric tests, and found there profiles to be consistant with dyslexia, rather than simply poor schooling and/or low intelligence/general cognitive ability.
Share:
| Phil Teare wrote: |
| That is an excellent list!!!
Very well done JackP. Thanks for compiling it. |
Thanks. Glad you like it
One of the things that is cropping up here - and has cropped up elsewhere in disability fora, is that doing the same things for everyone will help some and hinder others.
We're told to use high contrast for the vision impaired: Mel Pedley points out this will hamper some dyslexics in the second part of her dyslexia article:
| Mel Pedley wrote: |
| Scoptic Sensitivity Syndrome ... can make high contrast text difficult to read because the words seem to constantly move on the page |
Similarly, in my own research into this article I found conflicting advice from dyslexics, including one on this forum.
Some dyslexics find italics and serif fonts easier to read
SOME DYSLEXICS FIND ALL CAPS EASIER TO READ
...some people like long lines of text, some people like shorter ones.
I'm guessing they both have the same problem: from what I've read, it seems dyslexics can find it difficult to regain their place on the page when they come to a new line: long lines would make this problem occur less frequently, but shorter lines would make it easier to find your place (as do regular headings, breaks etc).
That's why in any set of guidelines you have to cater for what's going to be of most help to most people, and then, if you can, offer customisations like the excellent Government Offices of Sweden site which allow you to change most things about the display, rather than simply choosing between two stylesheets.
As for the prison/dyslexia thing, again my guessing is that because people didn't start to be diagnosed with dyslexia until more recently, it's possible that earlier sufferers were simply pigeonholed as lazy or ignorant and hence didn't receive the help they needed.
Although of course, in the interests of true disability equality I should point out that someone with a disability may well be lazy, ignorant or rude as well. After all, people without disabilities can be, so let's not exclude the disabled from this, either...
Jack Pickard The Pickards Information Services| Blog | Twit
Share:
Agreed - on all points. Especially us speciall needs folk being rude some times
But we're driven to it I tell you - driven to it!
[sorry - still in melodramatic mode after a run in with Torsten... grumble muble grumble....]
Share:
| Jack Pickard wrote: |
| 14. Columns - Dyslexic people find that the further text is presented from one side of the screen to the other, the more difficult it becomes to read. Ideally a column should be no more than 70-80 characters wide. |
That is indeed the visually preferred line length as most print designers know and have been proven to be so on the web however tests prove the speed of reading was not increased.
Johan De Silva / Portfolio
Share:
Well it wasn't until I got to University that I was diagnosed. Maybe it was a sheer fluke, or being in the right place at the right time that led to me being assessed.
So yes the School System failed to detect the symptoms and my raw intelligence is estimated within the top 1% of the population.
};-) http://www.xhtmlcoder.com/
WVYFC chose the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as the main charity to fund raise for in 2006
Share: