Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• Layout Guidelines for Web Text and a Web Service to Improve Accessibility for Dyslexics

  Luz Rello, Gaurang Kanvinde, Ricardo Baeza-Yates (2012) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents evidence-based layout guidelines for making web text more readable for people with dyslexia, derived from a user study with 22 dyslexic participants and a matched control group. The study is notable for being the first to combine …

  • dyslexia
  • readability
  • typography
  • eye tracking
  • text presentation
  • web accessibility
  • cognitive accessibility
  • color contrast
  • font size
  • line spacing

• Size Matters (Spacing Not): 18 Points for a Dyslexic-Friendly Wikipedia

  Luz Rello, Martin Pielot, Mari-Carmen Marcos, Roberto Carlini (2013) — Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper investigates the effect of font size and line spacing on readability and comprehension for people with dyslexia, tested in the real-world context of Wikipedia articles rather than isolated text samples. The authors conducted an eye-trackin…

  • dyslexia
  • typography
  • readability
  • eye tracking
  • font size
  • line spacing
  • text presentation
  • cognitive accessibility
  • web accessibility

• Web accessibility and people with dyslexia: a survey on techniques and guidelines

  Vagner Figueredo de Santana, Rosimeire de Oliveira, Leonelo Dell Anhol Almeida, Maria Cecília Calani Baranauskas (2012) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the state of the art on dyslexia and web accessibility, synthesising findings from academic research, dyslexia organisations (particularly the British Dyslexia Association), and practitioner guidance into…

  • dyslexia
  • cognitive accessibility
  • web accessibility guidelines
  • readability
  • inclusive design
  • universal design
  • typography

• Dyslexia and web accessibility: synergies and challenges

  Luz Rello (2015) — Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This position paper reviews the key challenges of studying dyslexia in the context of web accessibility, drawing on Rello's extensive body of research including her doctoral work on the DysWebxia text accessibility model. The paper addresses three in…

  • dyslexia
  • cognitive accessibility
  • readability
  • typography
  • web accessibility guidelines
  • text customization
  • font size
  • typeface

• DysHelper: The Dyslexia Assistive User Experience

  Tereza Pařilová, Romana Remšíková (2018) — Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This demonstration paper presents DysHelper, a web browser extension designed to assist people with dyslexia by visually modifying the appearance of web text without altering its content or meaning. The extension addresses the core visual processing …

  • dyslexia
  • browser extension
  • reading accessibility
  • typography
  • web accessibility
  • text adaptation
  • Czech language
  • cognitive accessibility
  • personalization

• The effect of typeface and font size on reading text on a tablet computer for older and younger people

  Maneerut Chatrangsan, Helen Petrie (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This study investigated how typeface (serif vs. sans serif) and font size (14, 16, and 18 point) affect reading performance and preferences on tablet computers for younger and older people. The research was conducted cross-culturally in both Thailand…

  • readability
  • typography
  • font size
  • older adults
  • aging
  • tablet computers
  • cross-cultural
  • visual accessibility
  • text presentation