In a previous article I discussed the value of the Atkinson Hyperlegible type family for publishing texts for low-vision readers. While several type families—such as the free Eido and Lexend / Readex Pro, and the for-sale Maxular RX—prioritize the reading experience primarily for low-vision readers, the more extensive Atkinson Hyperlegible family’s combination of upright roman type and italics in a variety of weights makes it particularly effective for complex typographical publications created for readerships with widely varying levels of visual acuity.
The Atkinson Hyperlegible family has recently been updated and expanded to Atkinson Hyperlegible Next. The updated version of Atkinson Hyperlegible now has eight weights (expanded from the original two), and significantly expands the reach of each font with 4,464 glyphs supporting 150 languages (up from the original 27). The updated family also includes a monospaced version which would be particularly effective for creating tables and user interfaces (although, as I discussed in another article, I still think the more humanistic style of Intel One Mono might be preferable for many low-vision coders). Oliver Schöndorfer gives a good review of the full family, noting several design changes that create clearer blocks of texts for a variety of readers.
Brad Scott, Principal of Applied Design (who collaborated with the Braille Institute on the typeface), explained in an interview both the importance and challenges of creating a typeface accessible for a wide variety of readers:
When we are working on something, we’re looking for the easiest way to give access to this type of information. Working with Braille, we found that a lot of the things that make something accessible to people with low vision, for example, will hinder someone else. There are always decisions that we have to make when we’re designing for a very specific group of people. The correct thing to do is to optimize it for them.
This optimization for low-vision readers, but readability for those with higher levels of visual acuity, makes Atkinson Hyperlegible Next an extremely useful tool for designers to create accessible publications.
Image: Glyphs from Atkinson Hyperlegible Next (Source).
