boost: Make AO3 Easier to Read

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks to runpunkrun for pointing me to ElectricAlice’s amazing AO3 skin tutorial for dyslexic readers: both desktop and mobile versions, light and dark.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30918077

ElectricAlice walks you through every change, and sensibly hosts the code on GitHub (so it can be quickly/updated and maintain its comments, which AO3 reportedly strips from CSS you use in work skins).

This highly commented code requires almost zero understanding to modify the font, font size, spacing between lines, paragraphs, and characters, text width for body, comments, and blurbs.

Coincidentally, I’ve been loving a new sans serif font, which is now my default on browser and ereaders (where possible).

Easier Reading Anywhere with Atkinson Hyperlegible

The Braille Institute, in Los Angeles, has designed and released a new, free OpenType font called Atkinson Hyperlegible:

https://brailleinstitute.org/freefont

Atkinson Hyperlegible is a neo-grotesque typeface for the Braille Institute of America, Inc. Applied Design fulfilled the brief to increase legibility for readers with low vision. They also improved character recognition — making it easy to distinguish zeroes and uppercase Os, Es and Fs, ones, uppercase Is and lowercase ls

And because the universe is filled with type geeks, someone’s attempted a monospace version

So the next step is … modifying the Dyslexic AO3 Skin for large print readers. I’m pretty confident I’m capable of this, and will announce when complete.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

I can't get this image to show correctly, so see it life size at https://mltshp.com/p/1LNG0

[squidgiepdx]

Wow, thank you for the AO3 skin reference! I'm going to make an admin/news post over on SquidgeWorld and point to your post, in case people want to make their own skins on there.

[jesse_the_k]

So glad to contribute!

[electricalice]

:D I'm happy you are appreciating the skin! <3 lots of hugs!
let me know if I can do anything for the large print readers, I have zero experience with those but I 'll see what I can do!

Thanks!

[jesse_the_k]

I poked Google and they're planning on adding Atkinson Hyperlegible to https://fonts.google.com/ before August.

I figure it's easier to link than trying to explain how to download a specific font. I haven't figured out how to reliably specify a font in iOS, anyway.

I appreciate your offer of help: that makes it much easier for me to start the project.

Re: Thanks!

[electricalice]

That's VERY good, unfortunately it won't help in Ao3's case because they strip include from codes for security reasons /: So, no webfonts for Ao3. But it's certainly way more useful for every other instance!

The way I installed a font on iOS was by using the app iFont, which... is weird, it makes you install a certificate to install a font...? idk what's up with that, it doesn't strike me as the safest of procedures but eh, that's the way I found. And even then, not all Apps can use it, (safari certainly can't. thank you safari.) but I've been able to see it with chrome, by specifying it in the skin the way you normally do and have it installed with iFont.

Re: Thanks!

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks for saving me hours of frustration! I've got Brave and iCab for when Safari doesn't cut it.

My current work-around is saving <10000 word fic to via Instapaper, and then reading it there.

The longer fics I save on iCloud and then use Voice Dream Reader, an excellent ePub reader that's optimized for blind folks. I use large print; it also supplies dyslexic fonts and finely-controlled voice output.