According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a neurological condition caused by a different wiring of the brain”1 . It is not a disease, but a language-based learning disability that impacts about 20% of the population 2. People with dyslexia experience difficulties with word recognition, spelling, decoding, and phonological processing (manipulation of sounds). These difficulties make it challenging to learn to read. Dyslexia affects both oral and written language skills; causes students to read with less fluency, accuracy, or reading comprehension; and, though not associated with intelligence, impacts overall educational achievement. That is not surprising, given that basic reading skills are required for learning in most of the other school subjects.
If you, your child, or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with learning to read, it is important to determine if dyslexia might be a contributing factor. When dyslexia is properly identified, and instruction that is “based upon a systematic and explicit understanding of language structure, including phonics”3 is provided, students with dyslexia experience greater success with reading and with educational performance as a whole. (Note: The International Dyslexia Association provides a self-evaluation that you can take to help you determine if further evaluation is needed. Visit https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-test/ to complete this assessment.)
Given the difficulties people with dyslexia have with reading, libraries might not seem like places that they would be interested in visiting. Libraries, however, offer lots of resources that can be helpful to those with this condition. Some of these include:
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High-Low book selections (books with high interest, lower reading levels)
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Graphic Novels
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Audiobooks/Play-a-ways
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OverDrive eBooks (Libby App) – offers accessibility tools
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Databases and digital content
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Videos
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Books and materials on this topic
Library databases can be especially useful to anyone who finds reading difficult or tiresome. Databases like those offered by Gale (provided by POWER Library) or EBSCOhost allow users to listen to articles as they are read aloud; offer accessibility tools for changing font sizes, styles, and spacing; and provide a means for limiting results to those having appropriate reading (Lexile) levels.
You can find links to POWER Library on The Library’s home page (scroll down to the bottom of page), on the research databases page, and on the schooltools page.
Be sure to explore the POWER Library’s recently added accessibility tool link now found on its interface. You will find it in the lower right corner of the screen. Look for the blue-circle enclosed stick figure.
This link provides an array of tools that allow users to make adjustments to the printing that is displayed on the various POWER Library webpages.
Notice the link for a Dyslexia Friendly font in the middle of the options. When selected, the “Dyslexia Friendly” tool changes the interface font to an Open-Dyslexic one. Open-Dyslexic fonts look like the following image and are easier for those with dyslexia to read.
If that doesn’t suit, maybe one of the other accessibility tools like the screen reader, text-size adjustment tool, text-spacing adjustment tool, contrast adjustment, or the tool used to pause distracting animations could be helpful.
As noted above, Gale databases offer accessibility tools that can be used when viewing results. It, too, offers an Open-Dyslexic font. To select it, click on the “Display Tools” Icon (circle with a capital and lower-case “a” in it). You will find it just above the body of the article. (Note: If you are assisting a student with dyslexia conduct research, you can make accessibility changes to an article that you find, get a permalink for it, and then share the adjusted article.)
Users of the Libby App can make similar adjustments to the text of the digital eBooks that they borrow. Just look under settings to find the accessibility tools. To change the font of an eBook’s text to the Open-Dyslexic one using Libby, open the book as if to read it, tap on the A (appearance) icon above the cover image and scroll down to select OpenDyslexic.
Lastly, let me encourage those of you dealing with dyslexia to make use of library staff. We are available to help you find the information that you need and can competently recommend books and materials that you may enjoy.
Ann Marie M.
Information Services Assistant
1 Dyslexia at a Glance, International Dyslexia Association, 2022 https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-glance/
2 Dyslexia Statistic and Facts, Hoot!, 2022 https://hootbooks.app/dyslexia-statistics/
3 Dyslexia at a Glance, International Dyslexia Association, 2022 https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-glance/