How to help dyslexics thrive in online meetings and virtual classrooms.
Online meetings, teaching, staff development webinars and online conferences have quickly become part of academic life. Whilst this happened primarily through necessity, it is unlikely they will go away. They have shown that it is possible to span greater geographic areas, increase accessibility and reduce cost. Therefore, they are likely to play a long-term role in how we present, collaborate and interact.
One challenge though is how do we ensure that online sessions are accessible to the large number of dyslexic participants that are likely to participate. The British Dyslexia Association estimate 1 in 10 people are dyslexic. I do not claim to be an expert on dyslexia but as a dyslexic who has learnt, taught, presented and participated online for many years I will share five things that help me.
1: Slides
This is the most obvious one and probably something you already know if you have ever had any training in this area. Slide background colour matters, most importantly the contrast between text and background. Individual preferences can vary but anything not white improves my experience significantly. Ideally a light grey, pastel blue or cream works well for me but there are many sources of guidance on this. What may become problematic is where you have ‘corporate’ slides which often insist on inaccessible colour combinations.
Side note: If you are ever in the rooms where these decisions happen, please make sure you explain how problematic this is.
Font style and size also matters. Sans serif fonts are much easier to read on the screen. I would also recommend keeping extended blocks of text to a minimum. Dyslexia means it takes longer to read and process information. If you are talking at the same time, this means my focus is on close reading of the text or your voice. Doing both is often impossible
2: Uptake time
One of my biggest bug bears is presenters or chairs not allowing enough time for me to process their instructions or questions. If you ask a question and go straight into a monologue, it is hard for me to formulate my thoughts. Similarly, having multiple instructions makes life harder. Limiting the number of instructions together or having them written down as well as being verbal really helps.
Being honest, when the shoe is on the other foot, I can sometimes be guilty of allowing insufficient uptake time myself when I teach. Silence IS scary, especially when you do not have the visual cues of an in-person interaction. On an extended course, meeting, or with a regular group. My prior knowledge that there will or will not be uptake time effects the way I approach a session. If I know I will not have time to process my question, sometimes I may have disengaged before the session even begins.
3: Pre-reading and file formats
How many meetings have you been to where a paper is tabled? Or someone emails a handout during a meeting? As I mentioned above, I can either listen or read. So, if I need to plough through a paper, I probably cannot focus on the detail you are giving. Sending documents with lots of text in advance is really important for me to be able to engage with discussions about them. If there are any parts you plan to focus in on, also highlighting these in advance can help me know what might need to be focused in on more. Doing this is likely to get you better responses on the questions you want to deal with.
In a face-to-face meeting, this is one of my biggest barriers. Extensive text on white copier paper. Largely, online engagement addresses this. For example if you have sent me a word file (ideally) or a pdf, at least I can fix the colours. With word I can also change the font and sizing, again putting me in control of my needs. Do think carefully about using other formats. Is there a need for them? If there is, can key texts also be pasted into word so that they can be reformatted by the participant where needed. I would also add, clear numbering or naming of files is important. This especially applies to meetings where paper and item number often do not align and will often throw me especially if it is not listed clearly on the agenda.
4: Having Cameras or or Off?
This may be controversial for some of you. However, I have real issues with insisting cameras are on the whole time. If we are honest, much of this insistence comes from the desire of the presenter to have some visual feedback on what they are presenting. Most platforms have tools such as emojis, chat boxes and hands-up features that, when used effectively, can provide feedback. What you may or may not have noticed in face to face classrooms though is that many dyslexics figit to concentrate. Now in the back of a large room or across a large table you may not notice my incessant doodling but when the camera is directly on me, in effect you are forcing me to be on show. This leads to me either having to stop those things, reducing my focus or to worry who is judging what I’m doing.
5: The most empowering thing is to just ask
As I mentioned at the start, I do not speak for all people with dyslexia. These are my reflections on my own experience. Everyone has their own ways of working so asking can be the best solution if you want to know how to accommodate people effectively. Quite often the answer will be that you do not need to do anything beyond what I have highlighted above but the only way you’ll know this is if you ask. I appreciate for a conference presentation or a webinar with large number of participants this is not possible. However, If you are working with someone over a period of time, asking really helps.
In fact, I would say asking all of your participants about their needs and preferences can make for a better learning environment. There are ways to do this though. In advance and anonymously is my preference. What I do not want to have to do is disclose my needs in a room full of people. It is also important to note that making things more accessible for dyslexic participants also helps everyone else. Many more people than have an official diagnosis will experience some of the barriers that people with dyslexia do. Equally, normal considerations for participants are equally important for those with dyslexia. So having a clear agenda, regular breaks and setting clear expectations for each session are imperative.