Reading Digital with Low Vision

Authors

  • Gordon E. Legge

Abstract

Reading difficulty is a major consequence of vision loss for more than four million Americans with low vision. Difficulty in accessing print imposes obstacles to education, employment, social interaction and recreation. In recent years, research in vision science has made major strides in understanding the impact of low vision on reading, and the dependence of reading performance on text properties. The ongoing transition to the production and distribution of digital documents brings about new opportunities for people with visual impairment. Digital documents on computers and mobile devices permit customization of print size, spacing, font style, contrast polarity and page layout to optimize reading displays for people with low vision. As a result, we now have unprecedented opportunities to adapt text format to meet the needs of visually impaired readers.

Author Biography

  • Gordon E. Legge
    Gordon E. Legge is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, and head of the Minnesota Laboratory for Low-Vision Research. He is recognized for applying the principles and methods of visual science to explain the difficulties encountered by people with low vision in reading, object recognition, and spatial navigation. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Vision and was a member of a National Research Council committee on the redesign of U.S. currency, including introduction of large-print numerals on newly designed bills to help people with low vision. In 2007, he summarized three decades of his research in his book, Psychophysics of Reading in Normal and Low Vision.

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Published

2016-08-01