Hector Mangas Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities worldwide, affecting millions of readers across languages and cultures. Yet, despite this prevalence, mainstream design practices struggle to effectively address dyslectic readers.
Research continues to demonstrate that dyslexia is a set of complex cognitive differences shaped by neurological, genetic, and contextual factors. The complexity of these findings makes them hard to disseminate, specially when it comes to design practice. This leaves many designers uncertain about what the needs of dyslexic readers actually are, and in the absence of clear guidance, unsubstantiated claims often circulate, reinforcing myths rather than evidence-based solutions.
In this lecture, in-house cognitive psychologist Héctor Mangas will examine the current state of the art in dyslexic cognitive research. This dive into the literature will provide a solid ground for the best typographical interventions, together with a review of myths and hard-to-replicate solutions that populate the field.
The lecture will also serve as the launching pad of a new resource, presented by Typotheque, coined the Dyslexia Tool. This tool aims to bridge this gap in knowledge between research and design, showcasing the latest findings in an easy to understand format. The resource, which serves as an accessible but rigorous literature review, will present good and bad practices when it comes to typography and design, case studies, guidelines, recommendations and general information about this disorder.
The Dyslexia Tool will be part of a larger effort called Accessibility Tools. This suite of resources will serve as an open and user-friendly catalogue of tools for graphic and type designers, which will continue to roll out during 2026. These will serve to test fonts, check the contrast of designs and proof layouts easily, helping designers improve the accessibility of their output quickly and effortlessly.