Comic Sans Is At The Center Of Dyslexia Initiative Throwing Support For Its Use

“There’s nothing comic about Comic Sans,” declares WeTransfer, which is working with Innocean Berlin and Dyslexia Scotland to change the narrative around the much-maligned typeface. 

The font has been the butt of jokes for decades, most pointing to how it looks akin to a child’s handwriting, or makes even the most threatening notices look unprofessional. But would the narrative change if people knew about the hidden benefits of Comic Sans?

That’s the awareness this campaign hopes to spread, educating the wider public on how the misunderstood typeface actually serves an important purpose: helping people with dyslexia read better. 

As it turns out, it’s the irregularity of the font that makes it perfect for dyslexic individuals; and considering how it’s helping 780 million people across the globe who struggle to read, maybe there really isn’t anything comic about Comic Sans after all. 

Of course, it’s not the goal to make designers fall in love with the font—that would be near-impossible—but instead, acknowledge the responsibility they have in creating work to reflect the realities of people everywhere.

The challenge, then, is for designers who find Comic Sans distasteful to design dyslexia-friendly fonts that aren’t so comical, says the campaign entitled Nothing Comic About Dyslexia.

“We are calling on designers to rethink the way they approach traditional design principles and create new typefaces that are not only beautiful but also dyslexia-friendly,” summed up Lina Ruiz, Head of Social Responsibility at WeTransfer.

Head here for the guide on how to best create a dyslexia-friendly typeface.

[via It’s Nice That and WeTransfer, images via various sources]