I have had my children’s storybook Discovery at Paradise Island printed in dyslexia font. Discovery at Paradise Island is my new children’s storybook that has been reproduced in open dyslexic font. This book was originally published ten years ago in Lucinda Handwriting Font. I have been working in supporting individuals with dyslexia over the past ten years since I originally published the book. In that time the open dyslexic font has been developed as one of the solutions to help support people who experience dyslexia. It is not a quick fix, but it is a tool that has been created to make reading the font a little easier for some. The feedback as to why it works and what it creates is quite exciting for some people. When the font is looked at you can see that the base of each letter is quite heavy and darker. When the reader’s eyes move across the page the letters are more stable and the usual movement is cut down. This makes the reading process calmer and more manageable. As with all of the issues that surround dyslexia not every person is the same in the way that they read and interact with the text. However, it seems that according to the research that surrounds this font it does have an impact and help in the majority of cases. In the feedback, I have had about the reprint of my dyslexic text children’s book most of the feedback is very positive about the engagement with the text and the story. Children stay reading the book and the majority of them finish the story over a number of weeks. This to me is very positive and the reason why I will continue to reproduce the next text run of the book using this international font.
The font in use is an open-source font that can be downloaded and used by anybody for any purpose. The typeface includes regular, bold, italic, and bold italic styles. It is being updated continually and improved based on input from people who use the font. It has been designed to make the text heavier on the bottom of each letter in order to try to anchor it onto the page so there is less movement of the letters for the reader. There are no quick fixes for dyslexia, however, there are some solutions that may make it easier for a person to read certain types of font on certain types of paper. I wanted to see whether it made it easier for this book to be read if it was printed in the open dyslexia font and on a cream-based, environmentally friendly, low gloss paper.
Information about the open dyslexia font can be found on the website – http://opendyslexic.org.
It is definitely not the only answer for dyslexia, but again based on individual preference, it may be helpful for many people. Often people with dyslexia will describe letters that float or move around a page with no real anchor. This font adds gravity and weight to the letters and words as it is thicker at the bottom than at the top. Studies have found that text printed in this font often stays more still on the page and works better for them. It is important though that you ask students if it works for them. This is just another one of the solutions in the dyslexia puzzle. Have a look at the website and download this font from this website http://opendyslexic.org.
This book is now available online through apple books and the google play store as well as Amazon, Kobo, Nook and Kindle. You can click on the links below to download an online copy of the book written in dyslexia font.
Here are the links for the Open Dyslexic Edition:
iTunes: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1497372236
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=0XLNDwAAQBAJ
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940163059805
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B084D7L1VC
PDF version – you can also email me and request a pdf file be directly sent to your email for you to upload onto any device. This costs $15 
My email address is boyces@usq.edu.au
Discovery at Paradise Island has also been produced as an audiobook on DVD. This book is read by Sharon Boyce who is the author. This is furthering my ideal to create inclusive texts and link between the written and spoken word to shape a more inclusive society.