Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have dyslexia? Now there’s a website that shows people without this condition exactly what those with dyslexia see when they look at a page of text, and why reading can be so challenging for them.
It’s one thing to understand that dyslexia is a condition in which letters appear to be jumbled and words are nonsensical, but to see it with your own eyes really brings home just how hard it must be to read when you have to decipher sentences like those shown on the website.
Dyslexic people have to put a great deal more effort into reading and writing, but despite a general awareness of what dyslexia is, there is still limited understanding of the condition and little in the way of help for those who struggle with it. This is surprising given that 10% – 15% of the U.S population are estimated to be dyslexic to some degree.
Many dyslexic people don’t even realize their difficulties with literacy can be traced back to this condition and they suffer in silence for years, blaming themselves because they can’t read and write as easily as everyone else. Others may be embarrassed to be labeled as dyslexic so they hide it and don’t seek out the help they need.
It’s important to remember that being dyslexic has no bearing on intelligence and it should not be a barrier to academic and career success. By showing people what reading is like through the eyes of someone who is dyslexic, websites like this can help to remove the stigma and create more awareness, and that can only be a good thing!
Image via: IFLScience
