What Dyslexia Can Teach Us About Better Design

People make a lot of assumptions about dyslexia.

One of the most common assumptions is that dyslexia refers only to reading challenges. Another is that it reflects lower ability or IQ. In reality, dyslexia may affect a number of things, including how people process written or verbal communication, sequence information, retrieve words, and manage written detail under pressure. None of that has anything to do with ability or intelligence. And all of those assumptions ignore common strengths among dyslexic workers.

It’s estimated that 15 – 20% of people have some form of dyslexia, so it deserves attention.

Why Written Instructions Do Not Always Work as Intended

Many work systems are built on the idea that everyone will quickly absorb written instructions, forms, labels, emails, and procedures without issues. But the truth is:

• A checklist may be technically correct, but difficult to use in real-world conditions if it is visually cluttered or written in a way that requires rapid interpretation.
• A form may create unnecessary hesitation if important details are buried in blocks of text.
• A worker may fully understand the task but need more time to process the written steps, especially when distractions, fatigue, or time pressure are present.

Mistakes are often treated as personal issues when they are often design issues.

Good work design recognizes that heavy reliance on text can create unnecessary obstacles for all types of people, including those with dyslexia, ADHD, fatigue, language differences, or cognitive overload.

Simple improvements can make a meaningful difference. For example, when writing a checklist:

• Add check off boxes.
• Write less than one action per step.
• Create clearer, more effective graphics (or additional graphics) alongside text.
• Use clear instructions with standard terminology.
• Use readable fonts (I use Atkinson Hyperlegible for all my presentations).

Safety depends on more than having written procedures in place. It depends on whether those procedures work well under actual job conditions, when attention is divided, time is limited, and workers are making decisions in real time.

If written tools create unnecessary hesitation or confusion, that becomes part of the risk picture. Stronger work systems account for how people actually process information, making safeguards easier to use, easier to follow, and more reliable when they matter most.

Inclusive Design for Dyslexic Workers Will Improve Performance For All Your Workers

When work systems are designed for one type of person, companies risk overlooking contributions from people who may think and work differently, and who have different strengths and challenges. This includes dyslexic workers and other types of workers.

Many people with dyslexia develop strengths that workplaces do not always recognize quickly enough. My dad, for example, was brilliant at equipment troubleshooting because he could visualize how parts worked together, mentally track movement, and quickly spot inefficiencies. He was well known for spotting mechanical relationships that others missed. He could play the guitar, violin, and other instruments by ear, recognizing tone relationships, rhythm sequence, and structure without relying on written notation.

That kind of thinking matters in real work. Pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, practical problem solving, and the ability to detect what does not fit can be highly valuable in maintenance, operations, troubleshooting, and many other environments where systems do not always behave exactly as expected.

The goal is not to lower expectations. The goal is to design work systems that allow different kinds of people to contribute fully. When we improve work design, we remove unnecessary barriers and make performance stronger for everyone.

Build Better Work Systems

Building better work systems starts with understanding why people struggle, where safeguards break down, and how design influences performance. The 2-Day TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis course helps participants learn a practical process for identifying root causes, improving corrective actions, and strengthening systems so problems are less likely to repeat. Learn how to design stronger work systems that include more of your workers for safer, better performance.