I am more than happy to share information with you with regard to the
topic of typography and making text easier to read. There is not much
"research" but I am attaching a brief article (although a bit outdated)
so that you can get the gist of what I refer to as typography and
universal design. Once you understand the basic principles, you will see
good (and mostly bad) examples everywhere. The need for this information
occurs because prior to such widespread use of computers, graphic
designers and printers understood and followed the "rules" of typography
and making print materials more readable (i.e., accessible). Most of the
rest of us do not fully comprehend what makes print materials more
readable or accessible. This also includes the use of color.

There is also an article that was printed in the Jan/Feb 1997 issue of
TEACHING Exceptional Children (p. 32 - 35) - "Creating Readable
Handouts, Worksheets, Overheads, Tests, Review Materials, Study Guides,
and Homework Assignments Through Effective Typographic Design" that is a
more comprehensive explanation of this concept. 

Contact me for more information if you would like.

Pat

Patricia L. Anderson
CT State Department of Education
Bureau of Special Education
P.O. Box 2219
Hartford, CT 06145-2219
860/713-6923
FAX - 860/713-7051
patricia.anderson at ct.gov 


-----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Dave L Edyburn
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:30 PM
To: technology at nifl.gov
Subject: [Technology 544] Q&A: Topography and UDL

Q:  I am very interested in (and have been researching) the issue of
typography as a universal design concept as it applies to print
materials and websites. I do a lot of presenting on this particular
issue. Are you aware of these concepts and how they apply to reading for
all learners, but especially for those with cognitive and/or sensory
impairments? I would be interested in your information or a conversation
if you would like more information.

A: Thanks for sharing this connection between topography and UDL. This
is
not a topic I have studied so I don't have much to share. I hope you
will
consider sharing more information with the members of this list.

Reading researchers have long been interested in the role that font
style
and size has on reading performance. One study that may be of
interest:

Mansfield, J.S., Legge, G.E., and Bane, M.C. (1996). Psychophysics of
reading. XV: Font effects in normal and low vision. Available online:
http://www.iovs.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/8/1492

More recently, many studies have looked at various aspects of fonts
relative to online reading or reading e-books. Some resources that may
be
of interest:

Which fonts do children prefer to read online?
http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/3W/fontJR.htm

Dillon, A. (1992) Reading from paper versus screens: a critical review
of
the empirical literature. Ergonomics, 35(10), 1297-1326. 

Finally, concerning the design of digital text, you may be interested in
learning more about the concept of cascading style sheets (CSS):

Wikipedia: CSS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets

Essentially this new style of web programming separates the functions of
presenting text from the content. Traditionally, designers determined
how
users would view their content. With CSS, content and form are
separated.
This means that content can be manipulated quickly and easily be simply
preparing a new style sheet. In the near future, we expect users will
set
their own CSS which will then control the format of the text (e.g.,
colors, style, size) that is presented to them when they visit any web
page.

Fieldtrip: Take a few minutes to experience CSS today, visit:

CSS Zen Garden
http://www.csszengarden.com

Notice what the web page looks like when you first arrive. Then, click
on
the links on the right hand side of the page. Then, use your back button
to go back to the original page. Repeat these steps several times.

Did you notice that the content stays the same despite the wide
variations
in design styles? Can you envision the value of CSS for struggling
readers
that may want to set their own color contrasts or font style or font
size?
Can you appreciate the value of separating the work of the author
(create
the information) from the work of the designer (make a CSS to make the
information look interesting) from the preference of the reader (which
style to I like best?)?

CSS represents an important advance that has resulted from the forces of
assistive technology, accessible web design, and universal design
converging. As such it provides an interesting glimpse of the future
design of reading materials.




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