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It is a wonderful thing when a new tool is released that aids our fellow man. Such is the case of the new Dyslexia font created by Dutch designer Christian Boer. His intention to create a font more reader friendly for people such as himself who struggle with the disorder. Many have already celebrated its release saying that the font will eliminate the problems faced by its suffers. Unfortunately one of the largest problems dyslexics face is misunderstanding. Not their own but by others. Such confusion over the specifics of the disorder may result in setbacks rather than advances if such tools are not delivered with knowledge.

It is said 1 in 5 adults suffer from dyslexia. Right away I would like to rephrase that. 1 in 5 adults suffer because of dyslexia. In a world of snap judgments and short attention. In a world where a person’s worth is summed up in a sheet of paper, when not every “T” has been crossed and “I” has been dotted they are discarded along with the sheet. Yes a dyslexic does suffer. Despite the staggering number of people with the disorder. (as opposed to the 1 in 68 for autism or the 1 in 10 for depression) Fewer people understand it. Statements like “Oh I have trouble spelling from time to time, you just have to work at it” Or “Spell check should just take care of that.” Underscore this ignorance.

Dyslexia is a family of disorders. The others are Dyscalculia- difficulties with numbers and mathematics, Dyspraxia- difficulty with coordination often affects verbal communication, Dysgraphia- difficulties with handwriting. All are related to similar parts of the brain and frequently a Dyslexic will have aspects of at least one of the other conditions. Or they may have only one. The fact of the matter is no two dyslexics are exactly alike. One dyslexic might have trouble with reading a page full of highlights and bold text while another cannot finish a page of plain text without re-reading it a dozen times. Descriptions of the disorder range from- “my eyes just skip over the page” to “The letters and numbers flip” “turn into grey boxes” or even “The words just seem to blur together and melt” These descriptions are not exactly literal, but a desperate attempt to communicate something that is literally beyond words.

The most common and understood aspect of it is the inability to read and write accurately. However the same areas of the brain that affect these abilities have broad overlapping effects on other aspects of life. A dyslexic may not be able to read a clock or recall the day of the week. They may be able to read a novel with no issue but stumble over a text book. Taking a phone number or spelling a name requires slow repetition to ensure accuracy. Doing simple math requires counting on fingers and verbal conversation could be impossible in a crowded room.

Some of what I describe does indeed sound like ADD or Autism. And for good reason- the conditions are frequently co-morbid. And a diagnosed dyslexic is likely to have a mild case of one or both.

To frustrate matters even further Dyslexics often amaze their peers with moments of insight, clarity, and brilliance. They might see a problem before anyone else because their eyes will find discordant pieces in the puzzle, an odd shape or stand out piece of paper, practically glows to them. They may be eloquent speakers or write fluid prose, so long as they have had the time to go over their work. In science they may grasp abstract concepts before their peers even as they struggle through their research papers. Did you know certain architecture companies exclusively hire dyslexics into their staff because of their unique vision? Did you know that while they struggle with learning foreign language dyslexics can learn and even excel at learning Japanese? Countless famous and successful people have this disorder and can even owe some of their success to its unique view of the world. A dyslexic adapts, learns to fit their mind into a world that is alien to them. When they do adapt they shine. Why then would these be issues for the dyslexic? Because it makes it too easy to dismiss their troubles by highlighting their brilliance.

Again in a world of snap judgments, a dyslexic suffers because their talents require time to bloom.

Now enters the new dyslexic font. It looks promising. As you might guess I am a dyslexic. In reading my eyes skip around the page. I cannot hear someone spell something and catch it unless repeated. I count on my fingers. I misspell everything.

My eyes do like the font so far. The weighted letters and numbers pin my eyes to the line. It has not helped my issue with bold words or numbers in a sentence, but it is a great start. Like a lot of the coping strategies and tools out there for us, it too was invented by another dyslexic.

Greatness aside it gives me pause. We live in a world of expectation. And I worry that the expectations placed on this font are Panacea. It is not a cure all. It will not just make dyslexia just go away. Its inventor knows this. But the rest of the world may not, likely will not understand. I welcome a new tool, any tool, to help us. But it is still just a tool. To truly let dyslexics contribute to the world we need understanding and education. A tall order I know, but we can dream can’t we.