A Typeface Designed for Dyslexics

As a severe motor-developmentAl dyslexic, I can tell you that visual cues as to orientation within a context can make it much easier to read text. Dyslexia is not the same for all who have it; for me, it also affects verbal centers and alters perception in some subtle ways that are hard to describe. I have never not been dyslexic, so I can't provide direct comparisons.

Is dyslexia a sound problem? I'd read that an early inability to process certain phonemes causes the brain to "make up" it's own symbolic relationship. There have been tests that show it's not the brain's inability to see the letters correctly, it's that the brain never learned what those sounds are. If the sound is shorter than the brain (at the time with a hearing problem) can handle, it's bundles it with the next closest sound. It's not just flipping like letters around, it's the sounds they make.

Treatments that play back recordings that have been lengthened have been shown to increase a dyslexic's visual cues on the letters and their representational sound. Some show a high recovery rate. The font is a great tool, but it's like learning to walk with a crutch on a broken leg rather than mending the bone.

@Bob.C - Yeah, their web site is a bit confusing to navigate. Perhaps I stumbled across an older price list?

What I don't understand is why anyone would pay an _annual_ fee just to use a font. I can understand a one-time download cost (say, $1 USD or something cheap like that), but an _annual_ fee? And not a cheap one at that!

I'm not dyslexic myself, but as a software engineer, I spend hours every day staring at text (source code). So any font that's easier to read interests me.

Actually John W I think the current lexima font site has the annual fee one band higher than you've got them

So for my small business of 9 people (one of whom is dyslexic)

5-30 at € 775 per year + shipping € 14.49...em not going to happen

This made me curious to know if there were other dyslexia friendly fonts available for a more sensible price, so far:

-specifically designed-
Lexia Readable available from K-Type
Sylexiad available from robsfonts

-seem to be useful for some people-
ClearviewADA from Terminal Design
Optima available from boldfonts
Sassoon Sans from clubtype
Myriad Pro available from Adobe (worth doing a search for)
Comic Sans look on your current windows machine under embarrassing fonts

Yes, how *can* we prevent this to happen?