Fonts, typefaces and cursive writing By Pat Grayson

I'm dyslexic, which among other things, causes difficulty in reading various fonts or cursive writing. Such as fonts like this one or this THIS GOTHIC SCRIPT or cursive handwriting where the letters are joined (especially if the writer writes carelessly). Italic writing is also hard for me to decipher. My difficulty with these is not unique to me. Research shows that many people with dyslexia or learning disabilities have the same problem, to a greater or lesser degree. So, the easiest way for us to read is a simple and printed font, like what you are reading.
 

There is a school of thought that suggests that designing ‘dyslexic specific’ fonts will solve the problem. Their reasoning is that the eyes of a dyslexic person will identify the letter better. I’m not sure if I agree with this premise – perhaps they may help some. My reasoning is that dyslexia is not a visual thing – it is related to the brain. We can close our eyes (removing the visual aspect) and still transpose numbers or letters while saying them aloud. Research also shows that many students with a learning disability, including dyslexia, have poor word memory; the visual component of a specifically designed font is not likely to be a game-changer for dyslexics.

Yet, I am open to developments; however, more research is required before these new forms are meaningful. For now, though, I suggest a simple font, with reasonable spaces between the letters so they can be distinguished easily. However, it is important to avoid excessive spacing, as dyslexic may struggle to connect letter combinations if the letters are too far apart, For instance, hyphenated words at the end of a line can be particularly challenging.
 

Grey letters, and some other colours can be difficult and exacerbated by the background, especially those with Irlen Syndrome. (A type of visual or perceptual processing disorder. For more information go to https://irlen.com/what-is-irlen-syndrome/)
It is generally agreed upon that black text on a white background is the easiest to read.
Additionally, from this web-site you can see that both Irlen Syndrome and Dyslexia are not solely visual issues, but rather related to  brain function.

Written by Pat Grayson.