News from Europe

Dyslexia-friendly Bible published for adults and children

Christian publisher Lifeway - in partnership with 2K/DENMARK and Cambridge University - has published a Bible, designed to make it easier for people with dyslexia to read the words of God.

The new Bible uses colour overlays and a newly-developed dyslexia-friendly font called ‘Grace‘, which highlights the differences between the letters ‘m‘ and ‘n‘, and ‘p‘ and ‘q‘. It also makes letters thicker on the bottom to keep them visually smoother.  

According to studies, dyslexia affects 1 in 5 people. Colour overlays make it easier to read by reducing the visual pressure created by the high contrast of black and white. The Irlen Institute – established by Helen Irlen in 1983, which has helped over a million people worldwide using a broad diagnostic process and innovative technology – conducted several research projects on dyslexia. The conclusion is as follows: “Coloured overlays reduce the amount of contrast on the page, making it less stressful for the brain to look at. By reducing over-activity in the brain, coloured overlays can reduce or eliminate visual distortions like moving or blurry print and improve comfort, reading speed, comprehension, and ability for sustained attention. Colours are simply light traveling at different speeds. When you change the colour of the page, you change the speed at which that visual information travels to the brain. Coloured overlays help synchronize the visual signals being sent to the brain, so the brain can process those signals properly.”

Ben Mandrell, president of Lifeway, stated: “Kids who feel intimidated by reading can feel comfortable with this new typeface in a Bible that’s made specifically with them in mind. Dyslexia shouldn’t keep kids from reading the Bible. At its core, the CSB Grace Bible for Kids is meeting the need of helping young readers interact and connect with God in a personal way through His Word. We are so encouraged by the excitement and traction around the Grace Bible for Kids.”

Klaus Krogh, founder of 2K/DENMARK, shared some insights about the project: “If you are dyslexic, sometimes you see letters as bouncing balloons because they don’t stay on the baseline. In designing the Grace typeface, we made sure to fix the letters to the baseline by making them heavier towards the bottom. I hope and pray this will help someone connect with the content of the Bible. We know faith changes lives, and we’d like as many as possible to be given the chance to change their life by the message in the Bible.”

Source: https://premierchristian.news

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