Good practice guidelines for supporting learners with dyslexia
History
The Joint Training Team recognises that it is important to support ALL our learners through the learning process, from giving information about what we can offer them, to delivering the training and making links to how this helps in the workplace. We are doing some research to identify how we can improve our understanding and support for people with Dyslexia.
As a working group we are looking at our work practice and making improvements that will benefit all our learners. We meet monthly to share information about good practice and explore ways in which we can develop our service and make any necessary changes to improve how we make information available.
Where we are now
We will use good practice guidelines from the British Dyslexic Association to give us a positive starting point, however each person with dyslexia will wish to be supported in a way that is specific to them. We are trying out different styles of font type and size, colours of paper, use of acetates etc, with our learners to identify what works best to increase our learners access to written information.
Font and font size
Font types recommended that we are trying are arial, comic sans, verdana, tahoma, and trebuchet.
"Fonts should be rounded, allow for space in between letters, reflect ordinary cursive writing and be 'easy on the eye'. Look for a font that spaces letters rather than running them closely together. Bear in mind that fonts that have unusual shaped letters can create difficulties". (British Dyslexia Association)
Further recommendations include the use of cream or off-white matt paper instead of white for people with dyslexia or visual impairment. Paper quality should be 80-90gsm to reduce glare from the back. PowerPoint handouts should be two per page without notes.
We recognise that this is good practice for all learners promoting a practice of equal opportunities for all. The guidance should apply to course handouts, case studies, flyers, booklets, course correspondence - applications, confirmation letters and evaluations.
If you are interested in joining this group or would like to share information with us please contact:
Group Members
Liz Finney
01743 254732 liz.finney@shropshire.gov.uk
Mary Johnson, Staff Development Officer Learning Disabilities
01743 254736 mary.johnson@shropshire.gov.uk
Marian Hassall, Staff Development Officer Older People, Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment
01743 254735 marian.hassall@shropshire.gov.uk
