Default fonts
This site uses three fonts built for accessibility:
- Lexend — the default. Designed by Bonnie Shaver-Troup and Thomas Jockin to make reading faster and easier. Licensed under SIL OFL 1.1.
- OpenDyslexic — heavy, grounded letters that reduce letter-flipping for dyslexic readers. Licensed under the Bitstream Vera Fonts license.
- Atkinson Hyperlegible — every letter looks unique, even at small sizes. Created by the Braille Institute. Licensed under SIL OFL 1.1.
All three fonts are served from this server — no third-party CDN requests. This protects visitor privacy, which matters for government and nonprofit users. Switch between them using the font buttons in the footer.
Font palette
LexendThe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.Default · ADHD · Dyspraxia · DID · OCD
OpenDyslexicThe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.Dyslexia · Dyspraxia
Atkinson HyperlegibleThe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.ASD · Tourette · Interface labels
Spacing and layout per font
Each font was designed with different proportions. Switching fonts without adjusting spacing can break readability. This site applies the following adjustments automatically when a font is selected:
Lexend (default)
- Line height: 1.6 — wide enough for scanning, tight enough for coherence.
- Letter spacing: default (0) — Lexend has its own built-in spacing calibration.
- Font size: 1.0625rem (17px) base.
- Best for: body text, long-form prose, navigation, form labels.
Atkinson Hyperlegible
- Line height: 1.72 — slightly taller to prevent ascenders and descenders from colliding.
- Letter spacing: 0.012em — opens each character slightly to preserve their distinct shapes.
- Font size: unchanged from Lexend base.
- Best for: codes, labels, form fields, navigation, anywhere misreading a single character matters.
OpenDyslexic
- Line height: 1.9 — the heaviest bottoms need more vertical breathing room.
- Letter spacing: 0.025em — extra space between letters reduces crowding.
- Word spacing: 0.12em — slightly wider gaps between words make the boundary clearer.
- Font size: 1.125rem (18px) — bumped up one step because the heavier weight benefits from a larger canvas.
- Best for: body text for dyslexic readers. Offer as opt-in; do not force as default.
Which font helps which group
| Condition | Best font | Backup | What the font does | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyslexia | OpenDyslexic | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Heavy, weighted bottoms; uneven shapes | Stops b, d, p, and q from flipping or mirroring in the reader’s mind. |
| ADHD | Lexend | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Wider, fluid spacing | Letters do not crowd. Eyes that jump around stay on the line. |
| Dyspraxia | Lexend | OpenDyslexic | Wide letters, clear word gaps | Distinct anchors for each word. Letters do not bleed together. |
| Autism (ASD) | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend | Predictable, hyper-distinct letters | Removes ambiguity. Every symbol looks different. |
| DID | Lexend | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Neutral, calm, structured | Steady, predictable shapes give a friction-free read during disorientation. |
| OCD | Lexend | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Even, symmetrical grid | Clean visual order eases anxiety triggered by uneven text. |
| Tourette / Tics | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend | Large x-height, sharp hooks | Large lowercase letters help the eyes snap back to the same spot after a tic. |
What each font is best at
OpenDyslexic
- Trick: Heavy, gravity-weighted bottoms hold letters down.
- Best use: Offer as a user-selectable option for body text. It is non-traditional, so do not force it as the default — but it is invaluable when offered.
- Project page: opendyslexic.org
Atkinson Hyperlegible
- Trick: Every character looks distinct from every other one.
- Best use: Built by the Braille Institute. Best for interface elements — codes, labels, numbers, form fields, navigation — where misreading a single character costs the user.
- Project page: brailleinstitute.org/freefont
Lexend
- Trick: Spacing scaled from reading-fluency research.
- Best use: A strong default font for a website. Looks clean and modern, and quietly improves reading speed for ADHD, dyslexic, and dyspraxic users out of the box.
- Project page: lexend.com
Why this also helps everyone — the curb-cut effect
When cities cut smooth ramps into sidewalks for wheelchair users, the ramps helped everyone: parents with strollers, travelers with suitcases, delivery workers. The same thing happens with type.
- Less mental fatigue. Lexend’s wider spacing means the brain spends less micro-effort separating words.
- Help in tough moments. Atkinson Hyperlegible keeps 1, lowercase l, and uppercase I distinct in bright sunlight or on a shaking train.
- Aging eyes. Atkinson and Lexend stay readable at smaller sizes for presbyopic users.
- Faster proofreading. Distinct shapes make missing characters or swapped numbers pop out.