Inclusive & Assistive Products
ISDN2001/2002: Second Year Design Project
What is
Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a form of neurodiversity that primarily affects reading and language processing, making it challenging for individuals to decode words and comprehend written text.
It is caused by differences in the brain's wiring and functioning, particularly in areas responsible for language processing.
Common symptoms include difficulty with reading fluency, poor spelling, and challenges in writing and comprehending text.
Globally, dyslexia affects approximately 5-10% of the population, though estimates can vary.
In Hong Kong, studies suggest a similar prevalence, with around 10% of students facing difficulties associated with dyslexia, of which approximately 3% have moderate to severe dyslexia. This highlights the need for tailored educational support and resources for affected individuals.
What is its
current market like?
While compensation assistive technologies and remediation assistive technologies effectively assist with specific reading and writing tasks, their impact on fundamental language acquisition remains limited. Meanwhile, most dedicated language-learning tools for dyslexic learners emphasize phonics instruction or two-dimensional visual aids.
Current solutions may not fully align with the most natural learning pathways for dyslexic individuals, potentially limiting long-term language development. Furthermore, while spatial learning methods exist in some therapeutic contexts, they have rarely been integrated with modern technological solutions that could enhance their effectiveness.
What
could we do?
For the first semester, we conducted intensive user research with several streams. Through collaboration with a local SEN NGO, interviews with special education teachers, and discussions with dyslexic adults, we confirmed three key insights:
Symptoms vary largely among individuals
The manifestations of dyslexia range widely—from challenges in distinguishing similar-looking numbers to difficulties in verbalizing words.
Given this broad spectrum, the most effective approach is to identify common pain points and design an inclusive solution that accommodates the majority of users.
Challenges with traditional language learning methods
Phonics-based and syllabic decoding methods prove particularly challenging for dyslexic learners to internalize.
This struggle becomes viscerally apparent in their workbooks—pages marred by persistent red corrections despite multiple revision attempts, revealing systemic gaps in traditional literacy instruction
Natural affinity for visuo-spatial learning
Dyslexic learners consistently demonstrate a strong preference for visual-spatial processing across developmental stages.
This manifests in children as young as seven instinctively creating pictorial character representations using spatial memory, while adults leverage the same cognitive strength for complex tasks.
