Last year Libraries ACT updated their dyslexia collection and made it available across multiple branches, providing valuable support to community members with dyslexia.
Jude McClintock, Disability Inclusion and Learning Coordinator for Libraries ACT said “That while dyslexia is defined as a difficulty in learning to read, people with dyslexia can become fluent readers and writers. It’s essential that anyone having difficulty learning to read is given access to evidence-based instruction. Many of our children’s programs help to build vocabulary and comprehension, and our First Readers collection contains several hundred decodable readers which are designed to develop phonemic awareness.”
Dyslexia is estimated to affect approximately 10 per cent of the Australian population. It is a neurological disorder, part of the group of conditions known as specific learning difficulties.
In 2019, Libraries ACT trialled an accessibility collection offering select titles published in OpenDyslexic font at Kippax Library. This trial was highly successful; the titles were popular, well used and requested across all our branches. Due to the popularity and high usage, we are expanding this collection to all library branches (excluding the ACT Heritage Library).
Books in this newly curated collection are specially printed using carefully chosen fonts, spacing, layout and paper, which create an easier reading experience for many people with dyslexia. The collection originally consisted of books printed in the OpenDyslexic font, but current research and feedback from the Canberra community has led to the addition of a new range of dyslexia-friendly items from publishers like Barrington Stoke and others, allowing Libraries ACT to cater to the many dyslexic readers who prefer different fonts.
Jude McClintock adds “Other areas of the collection can also cater for dyslexic readers. The large print collection contains many books from publisher ReadHowYouWant which are printed in larger sans serif fonts with increased line spacing, and our range of graphic novels in hardcopy and online is increasing.”
This collection is not age-specific, and can be utilised by people of all ages. You will find titles for children and adults, essentially for anyone who prefers dyslexia-friendly font in a less-crowded layout printed on off-white paper.
Where to find the Dyslexia Collection
The Libraries ACT dyslexia collection is on display at all branch locations, excluding the ACT Heritage Library. You can search our catalogue using ‘dyslexia friendly’ key terms for a list of titles.
