Coloured Reading Rulers
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Coloured Reading
Rulers
Make
print clearer. Reduce glare. Support comfortable
reading.
Coloured Reading Rulers
are a simple, portable accessibility support
designed to help children and adults who experience
text-related visual discomfort when reading.
They are intended to improve reading comfort,
not to act as a reading intervention.
Some people notice
blurred or uncomfortable text when they are tired,
reading for long periods, or working with
high-contrast print. For some children and adults,
changing the colour through which text is viewed
can help soften black print and reduce visual
discomfort.
Available packs Multi-colour packs
for trial and choice
There is no single colour
that works for everyone. Trialling different
colours allows individuals to identify what feels
most comfortable for them.
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SCHOOL
AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE ORDERS ONLY.
Schools if
you require a tax invoice please email
your order rather than use the online ordering
system. Payment would then be on receipt of the
invoice obtained with the delivered goods. Email
your order to karen@dyslexiasupportservices.com.au Phone:
0402225051
Research by Apple and Microsoft has also informed the inclusion of colour-adjustment tools in accessibility features such as iPads, iPhones, and Microsoft Immersive Reader, reinforcing their role as an environmental adjustment, not a treatment
How coloured reading rulers
may help
Some
children and adults experience text-related visual
discomfort when viewing high-contrast, repetitive
patterns, such as black text on a white background.
This may include:
- Glare or visual fatigue.
- Eye strain or headaches
- Text appearing blurred,
unstable, or difficult to focus on
-
Using a coloured reading ruler
can:
- Reduce visual discomfort or
glare.
- Make text feel easier to
look at.
- Support reading stamina and
sustained attention.
About the Coloured Reading
Ruler
Each Reading Ruler is a
2.5-inch-deep transparent plastic strip with:
- Tinted transparent edges
for tracking text.
- An opaque central area
that allows the reader to view text through their
chosen colour while following the line of print
-
There are two viewing windows:
- A narrow window,
suited to early or developing readers who benefit from
a more confined focus.
- A wider window,
allowing more text to be seen and supporting scanning
ahead while reading.
The
aim is to read from the tracking line down, supporting
smoother visual tracking.
Because
reading rulers fit easily into a
pocket, pencil case, or book (where they can also act as a
bookmark), they are often preferred by students who wish to
avoid the visibility of a full-page overlay.
Who might find reading rulers
useful?
Coloured reading rulers may be
helpful for:
- Children or adults who
experience eye strain or headaches when reading.
- Readers who find
high-contrast print uncomfortable.
- People who report text
looks too bright, shimmery, or hard to focus on
- Individuals who experience
fatigue during sustained reading
- In schools:
kept in classrooms or shared resource areas so students
can independently choose a colour when needed.
- At home:
used for homework or leisure reading.
- In the workplace:
to support adults who read for long periods or
experience visual discomfort.
- By educators:
as a simple trial tool to see whether colour adjustment
improves reading comfort.
Alignment with Australian
inclusion and reasonable-adjustment requirements
Providing coloured reading rulers as an optional classroom
resource is consistent with schools’ obligations under the
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the
Disability Standards for Education 2005, which require
reasonable adjustments to enable students with disability
to access learning on the same basis as their peers.
Reading rulers may be offered as a low-cost,
non-invasive environmental adjustment to support
students who experience text-related visual discomfort when
reading high-contrast print. They are not a treatment for
dyslexia and do not replace evidence-based literacy
instruction but may assist some students to access printed
materials more comfortably within an inclusive learning
environment.
Important information about
dyslexia
Dyslexia is a lifelong
difference in how the brain processes written language. It
cannot be cured, and coloured reading rulers do
not treat dyslexia or change core reading skills such
as decoding, spelling, or phonics.
Reading rulers are best understood as a comfort and
access support, not a cure.