DYSLEXIA AND THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

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The all-pervasive nature of technology has never been more strongly felt. Two years into the pandemic, it has become apparent that our reliance on technology will not be diminishing anytime soon. As the world finds itself continuously forced to work from home, interacting with digital material on a day-to-day basis, it becomes increasingly important for publishers to produce material that is accessible to all. Dyslexia in particular affects 10% of the population, and remote work/schooling may be impacting them more than we think.

Dyslexia is one of several Cognitive Disabilities that are hidden from view but, through their impact on processing, attention and recall, can significantly affect the effort, efficacy and enjoyment of printed text.

– Inclusive Publishing (2018)

Adults with dyslexia are often underserved. A study that surveyed students across seventeen British higher education institutions looked at the reported difficulties reported by dyslexic students across the three main stages of education. The most pronounced changes take place between Primary and Secondary school, ‘with substantial increases in [...] difficulty with notetaking, organising essays, time keeping, expressing ideas in writing, and remembering facts’ (Mortimor and Crozier, 2006). This study showed that students with dyslexia reported greater difficulty with reading and spelling in Primary school, which then developed into issues with notetaking and essay organisation as they aged (Ibid).

This shift may be partially related to the restrictive nature of E-books. One key study investigated the way E-books may hinder long-text comprehension for adults with dyslexia. Findings indicated that dyslexic adults were outperformed by skilled readers both in ‘literal and spatiotemporal comprehension tasks’

(Cavalli, p. 243, 2019). In other words, the decrease in manual activities and resulting loss of tactile feedback we enjoy with printed material may cause dyslexic readers to get lost within the digital text.

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA)

The BDA’s Style Guide 2018 is considered a core reference for those interested in inclusive publishing practices. Recommendations based on recent studies include: ‘Use of a larger sans-serif font, equal spacing between letters, increased word and line spacing, use of black text on a cream background, shorter lines, or reading on small screens’. Recommendations such as these should be implemented by all publishers, in both printed and digital form. Most prominently, it is vital for publishers to offer digital content that is customisable. Journalist David Hayter, a dyslexic himself, expressed that time-pressure and restrictive technology can be challenging:

Many of the techniques adults with dyslexia have learned to use to support us in reading printed text cannot be replicated when faced with grey, unformatted text blocks where one must write in tiny fonts.

– Hayter (undated)

If readers could choose the paper colour, font size and spacing to suit their own reading needs, it would greatly improve the reading experience.

A Glance at Current Industry Efforts

In 2020, Jessica Kingsley Publishers released guidelines for producing dyslexia-friendly texts within the industry. Written in association with Hachette UK’s Accessibility Network and in consultation with the BDA, ‘the guide outlines changes that can be implemented by publishers to make books [...] accessible for those with learning difficulties’ (Comerford, 2020). These outlines are meant to demonstrate the simple things publishers can do to make books more readable for ‘dyslexics and other neurodiverse individuals, such as avoiding fussy fonts with serifs, and changing the line justification on the page’ (Ibid, 2020). Hachette has plans to implement these guidelines, but it is important for independent publishers and self-published authors to take their own initiative as well.

Export Market Opportunities

In 2019, the European Union declared that by 2025, E-books are required to be born accessible, ‘which means they will have to include for print-disabled users all the features and functionality that those of us without print disabilities enjoy’ (Kasdorf, 2019). Despite Brexit, the EU remains one of the UK’s largest export markets. It is important for publishers to adopt industry guidelines and implement them as soon as possible to meet this new industry standard and maintain a seamless export service.

Conclusion

Digital material should be universally accessible as a rule, not as an added service. The publishing industry should view the ubiquitous nature of technology as an opportunity to reach wider audiences. The implementation of widespread technological solutions to facilitate the consumption of published material is now a necessity, both in printed and digital form. With the UK’s greatest export market making it mandatory for E-books to be born accessible, it is time for publishers to make a united effort to integrate more dyslexic friendly options.

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Bibliography

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Abbott (2017) ‘How to Print Dyslexia Friendly Books - and Why’, Alliance of Independent Authors, 2 March. Available at: <https://selfpublishingadvice.org/how-to-print-dyslexia-friendly-books-and-why/> (Accessed: 4 January 2022). BDA Technology (2018) ‘About Us’. Available at: <https://bdatech.org/> (Accessed: 4 January 2022). Cavalli et al (2019) ‘E-book Reading Hinders Aspects of Long-text Comprehension for Adults with Dyslexia’, Annals of Dyslexia, 69(1), 243–259. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334492860_E-book_reading_hinders_aspects_of_long-text_comprehension_for_adults_with_dyslexia> (Accessed: 4 January 2022). Comerford (2020) ‘JKP Rolls Out First Dyslexia-friendly Industry Guidelines’, The Bookseller. Available at: <https://www.thebookseller.com/news/jessica-kingsley-rolls-out-first-dyslexia-friendly-industry-guidelines-1215914> (Accessed: 4 January 2022). Hayter (undated) ‘Dyslexia at Work: Strategies for Working from Home’, Touch-type Read & Spell. Available at: <https://www.readandspell.com/dyslexia-at-work-strategies-for-working-from-home>(Accessed: 7 January 2022). Inclusive Publishing (2018) ‘The Journey Towards Dyslexia-Friendly, Digital Publishing’, Inclusive Publishing. Available at: <https://inclusivepublishing.org/blog/the-journey-towards-dyslexia-friendly-digital-publishing/> (Accessed: 4 January 2022). Kasdorf (2019) ‘Make E-books Accessible Now’, Publishers Weekly, 8 November. Available at: <https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/81705-make-e-books-accessible-now.html> (Accessed: 3 January 2022). Mortimore and Crozier (2006) ‘Dyslexia and Difficulties with Study Skills in Higher Education’, Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 235–251. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi>