Choosing Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts for Nonprofit Reports

Your nonprofit's annual report is one of the most important documents you produce each year. It shows donors, board members, and the public exactly where their money goes and what impact it made. But if a portion of your audience has dyslexia, a poorly chosen font can make that report nearly impossible to read. Choosing the right dyslexia-friendly font for your nonprofit annual report isn't just a nice gesture it's a matter of equity and clear communication.

Research published in the Annals of Dyslexia suggests that roughly 5–17% of the global population shows symptoms of dyslexia. That's a significant chunk of your readership. When you pick fonts designed to reduce letter confusion, improve spacing, and minimize visual crowding, you help every reader absorb your message not just those with reading difficulties. This article walks you through which fonts actually work, how to use them in print design, and what pitfalls to avoid.

What makes a font easier to read for people with dyslexia?

Dyslexia affects how the brain processes written language. Certain letter shapes like "b" and "d" or "p" and "q" can flip or rotate in the reader's mind. Fonts designed with dyslexia in mind address this through several specific design choices:

Unique letter shapes: Each character looks distinctly different from similar ones. For example, a capital "I" might have serifs to distinguish it from a lowercase "l."
Heavier baseline weighting: Letters are slightly thicker at the bottom, which helps anchor them and reduces the perception that they're moving or flipping.
Increased letter and line spacing: More room between characters and between lines of text reduces visual crowding.
Open counters and apertures: The enclosed or partially enclosed spaces inside letters like "e," "a," and "c" are wider, making characters easier to identify.
Consistent spacing between words: Predictable word gaps help readers track where one word ends and another begins.

These features don't just help people with dyslexia. Older adults, people with low vision, and anyone reading in low-light conditions also benefit from clearer letterforms. If you're already thinking about accessible font design guidelines for your nonprofit, dyslexia-friendly typefaces are a strong starting point.

Which dyslexia-friendly fonts work best in nonprofit annual reports?

Not every accessible font translates well into a polished annual report. Some dyslexia-focused typefaces look informal or utilitarian, which may not match the tone your organization wants to set. Here are fonts that balance readability with a professional appearance.

OpenDyslexic

This open-source font was created specifically for readers with dyslexia. It features weighted bottoms on each letter that act as a visual anchor. It comes in regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic styles, which gives you flexibility for headings and body text. The downside is that it has a somewhat rounded, informal look that may feel out of place in a highly corporate annual report. For nonprofits with a warm, approachable brand identity, though, it works well.

Dyslexie

Developed by Dutch designer Christian Boer, who has dyslexia himself, Dyslexie uses subtle changes to letter shapes elongated ascenders and descenders, slanted letterforms, and varied thickness to prevent letter-swapping. It's one of the most researched dyslexia-focused typefaces available. Some annual report designers appreciate its slightly more traditional feel compared to OpenDyslexic.

Atkinson Hyperlegible

Created by the Braille Institute, this font was designed for maximum legibility across all readers, including those with low vision. Each letterform is carefully differentiated the letters "I," "l," and "1" all look clearly distinct, for example. It has a clean, modern appearance that works beautifully in nonprofit annual reports. It's also free to download, making it a practical choice for organizations with limited budgets.

Lexie Readable

This font was designed by combining features from multiple readability-focused typefaces. It has a friendly, slightly informal tone think comic-book style, but toned down. It works for nonprofits that serve children, families, or community programs where a warm voice matters. For a more formal report covering policy work or medical research, you might pair it with a cleaner sans-serif for headings.

Verdana

While not designed specifically for dyslexia, Verdana is widely recommended by accessibility experts for screen and print reading. Its large x-height, wide letter spacing, and open character shapes make it easier to read than many common alternatives like Arial. If your nonprofit needs a font that looks familiar and professional without drawing attention to itself, Verdana is a reliable option.

Tahoma

Similar to Verdana but with tighter letter spacing, Tahoma can work in annual reports where space is limited. Its clear, straightforward letterforms hold up well at smaller sizes, which is useful for dense financial tables or footnotes. Just make sure to pair it with generous line spacing to compensate for the narrower character width.

Sylexiad

Designed by Dr. Robert Hillier at the University of Reading, Sylexiad was specifically created for adult readers with dyslexia. It uses simplified letterforms with wider spacing, designed to look age-appropriate for adult documents. This is an important detail many dyslexia-friendly fonts have a childlike feel that some adult readers find patronizing. Sylexiad avoids that problem.

How should you set up dyslexia-friendly fonts in a printed annual report?

Choosing the right font is only half the job. How you use it matters just as much. Here are the settings that make the biggest difference in print:

Font size: Use at least 12-point for body text. Many accessibility guides recommend 12–14 point as the ideal range. Headings should be proportionally larger.
Line spacing: Set line spacing to 1.5 or 1.75. Single-spaced text is one of the most common readability barriers for people with dyslexia.
Line length: Keep body text lines to 60–70 characters per line. Lines that stretch across a full page force readers to work harder to track back to the start of the next line.
Alignment: Use left-aligned (ragged right) text instead of fully justified. Justified text creates uneven spacing between words, which disrupts reading flow.
Paragraph spacing: Add extra space between paragraphs rather than using indents at the start of each one. This creates clear visual breaks on the page.
Paper color: Avoid pure white paper if possible. A cream or light pastel background reduces glare, which can trigger visual stress in some readers.

These layout choices apply whether you're designing for dyslexia specifically or following broader accessible typeface practices for nonprofit print materials.

What common mistakes do nonprofits make when choosing dyslexia-friendly fonts?

A few patterns come up again and again when nonprofit teams pick fonts for their reports:

Using decorative fonts for headings. A fancy display font might look striking, but if it's hard to decode, readers with dyslexia won't even get past the title. Keep headings clear and readable.
Mixing too many typefaces. Stick to one primary font and one complementary font. Constantly switching typefaces adds cognitive load for everyone, and it's especially hard on readers with processing difficulties.
Setting body text below 11 points. Small type saves space but costs you readers. If you're running out of room, cut content before you shrink the font.
Using italics for long passages. Italic text is harder to read for people with dyslexia. Use bold or a different weight of your font to emphasize key points instead.
Ignoring the digital version. Many nonprofits publish their annual report as a PDF on their website. If the PDF uses image-based text or non-embedded fonts, screen readers and browser-based text tools won't work properly. Always embed fonts and use real, selectable text.
Choosing a dyslexia font but keeping the same tight layout. A dyslexia-friendly typeface in a cramped, single-spaced layout defeats its own purpose. Font choice and layout design have to work together.

How do you pick the right font for your specific annual report?

The best font depends on your report's audience, format, and brand voice. Ask yourself these questions:

Who reads your report? If your audience includes people with known reading difficulties say, you run a literacy program or a special education nonprofit prioritize fonts like OpenDyslexic or Dyslexie. If your readership is broad, a highly legible general-purpose font like Atkinson Hyperlegible may be a better fit.
Does it need to match your brand? Some dyslexia-friendly fonts have a very distinct look that might clash with established brand guidelines. In that case, use the accessible font for the report body and your brand font for the cover and section dividers.
Is it print-only or digital too? Make sure your chosen font is available as a web font if you're publishing online. Test it at different sizes on screen to confirm it stays legible.
What's your budget? OpenDyslexic, Atkinson Hyperlegible, Lexie Readable, and Verdana are all free. Dyslexie requires a license for commercial use. Check licensing terms before you commit, especially if you're printing thousands of copies.

Testing matters. Print a sample page in your chosen font, at your chosen size and spacing, and hand it to a few people including anyone you know who has dyslexia or visual processing differences. Their feedback will tell you more than any design spec sheet.

A quick checklist before you go to print

Pick a dyslexia-friendly font that fits your report's tone and audience.
Set body text to at least 12 points with 1.5 line spacing.
Use left-aligned text, not justified.
Keep line length between 60–70 characters.
Use cream or off-white paper if your printer allows it.
Avoid italics for emphasis use bold or weight changes instead.
Limit yourself to two fonts total in the report.
Embed fonts in your PDF and test the digital version with a screen reader.
Print a test page and ask someone with reading difficulties to review it.

Start by downloading Atkinson Hyperlegible from the Braille Institute and laying out one page of your current annual report draft. Compare it side by side with your existing font. The difference is usually obvious right away. If you need more guidance on accessible design choices across all your nonprofit materials, our accessible font design guidelines cover print, web, and presentation formats in more detail.