How Accessible Reading Improves Outcomes for Students with Dyslexia

Breaking barriers to reading, learning and revision unlocks academic success

Students with dyslexia can often explain content confidently when they speak, but when asked to read it independently, they may slow down, lose their place or begin to doubt themselves.

The difficulty is not in their understanding, it is accessing written text.

For Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos), this presents an ongoing challenge. Reading sits at the centre of almost everything we ask young people in school to do, yet for many students it can be a daily barrier, a source of frustration and a reason for disengagement

As we move through the National Year of Reading (2026), the conversation around literacy has never been more urgent, with a growing focus on improving literacy outcomes for all young people. This presents a clear opportunity to review how students access the reading materials in their classrooms.

It is widely known that reading unlocks academic success, confidence, independence and opportunity. In reality, not every student experiences reading in the same way. For students with dyslexia, assistive technology offers a practical way to remove barriers to learning and improve outcomes and exam results.

“Access to customisable digital formats can encourage personal reading habits.”

Action Research Project, 2025

The growing need for accessible reading in schools

Recent figures reflect what many schools are already experiencing:

• Over 1.8 million students in the UK are now identified as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) an increase of over 91,000 students since 2025.

• Around 10% of the population are thought to have dyslexia
• Only 1 in 5 children read daily for pleasure

At the same time, students are expected to process written instructions, engage with texts independently and demonstrate understanding in assessments.

The challenge behind the data

Dyslexia often presents in ways that are easy to overlook in a busy classroom. A student may appear disengaged or slow to respond, yet the underlying issue is that the text itself is difficult to access. Other dyslexia-related challenges in the classroom may appear as:

• Avoidance of reading tasks altogether

• Relying on adult support to complete written work

• Struggling to retain information from text

• Students understand more than their written work shows

Over time, this may affect more than reading ability. It impacts confidence, independence and participation and can have a wider effect on the class, particularly if distractions such as chatting, task avoidance and other low-level disruption occur. Dyslexic students may begin to see themselves as less capable, even when they have strong understanding.

Accessible reading addresses this directly by changing how students interact with text.

Why accessible reading matters for schools

UK schools are managing increasing pressure across SEND provision. There are more young people with identified neurodiverse needs – and many with unidentified needs - less capacity for intensive adult support, and a growing emphasis on inclusive classroom practice.

Accessible reading sits well within this context. It is not about adding something new, but about removing a barrier that already exists.

When students are able to instantly access the same learning material as their peers, teachers can deliver lessons more consistently, without the extra time needed to physically adapt materials.

For SENCos, accessible reading material supports both learning outcomes for individual students and whole-school priorities, while easing some of the pressure on staff.

Five ways accessible reading changes outcomes

When accessible reading tools for dyslexia are introduced, the impact is instantly noticeable: it changes how students approach reading and learning.

1. Improves comprehension

For many students with dyslexia, reading is slow and demanding. A lot of effort goes into decoding words, leaving little capacity to focus on their meaning.

When accessibility options such as text to speech (TTS) are introduced, this pressure reduces. Students can listen along to audio while following the text on screen or in their books, helping them stay focused on the content rather than getting stuck on individual words.

In lessons, this comprehension often shows itself in clearer responses to class questions, more accurate explanations and a better grasp of subject vocabulary. This is particularly noticeable in subjects where reading load is high. Students are able to access materials that previously felt out of reach, and this positively impacts confidence.

“Students reported higher motivation and confidence when using the app compared to print books.”

Action Research Project 2025

2. Better retention and recall

Reading is not only about understanding in the moment, it’s important that students remember what they have read in order to use it in future lessons and assessments.

When reading takes a lot of effort, information can be lost before it is fully processed. Accessible reading supports retention, it allows students to read text in ways that work for their individual needs. For example, they may prefer to hear the text to remember it fully.

In practice, teachers often notice fewer repeated explanations are needed when accessibility needs are met. Students are more able to follow instructions and retain key points, which leads to a consistent progression path over time.

Crucially, when information is retained and students can recall it in exam settings, their success in exams is more likely to reflect their abilities, rather than the barriers they face. Students who are able to access the information in formats that work for them are more confident going into exams and are able to reach their full potential.

“Dolphin EasyReader played a pivotal role in helping me achieve excellent GCSE results. By making my study materials more accessible, it allowed me to engage with my coursework in a way that suited my learning style and visual needs.”

Eva, student from West London

3. Reduces support staff workload

One of the most immediate changes teachers notice is improved independence.

Without accessibility support, students can become reliant on teaching assistants, repeated explanations, or adapted materials just to get started. This can slow down the pace of learning and affect confidence.

With accessible reading tools, students are able to access text on their own terms. They can work at their own pace and check their understanding as they go.

Reducing the need for constant adult support allows teaching assistants to focus on more targeted interventions, which has a marked impact on staff workload and student autonomy.

“Students became less reliant on adults for reading support when using Dolphin EasyReader. Customisable features such as adjustable font sizes, colour contrast and text spacing, supported young people to read more comfortably on their own.”

Action Research Project, 2025

4. Increased engagement with reading

When reading feels difficult, avoidance is a natural response. Over time, that can lead to incomplete work, lower participation and a growing sense that reading is something to be avoided.

Accessible reading tools help shift this. When barriers to reading are reduced, students are more willing to engage. You begin to see more tasks completed, more involvement in lessons and more time spent interacting with texts for learning pleasure.

It can also open the door to reading beyond the classroom. Access to audiobooks and flexible formats gives students more ways to engage with books, which can help rebuild confidence and interest in reading for pleasure.

“Students who had the power to pick up a tablet, access books and texts that interested them engaged more in reading for pleasure sessions.

Action Research Project, 2025

5. Confident participation

Confidence grows when students feel able to keep up. So when reading is no longer a barrier, students are more willing to take part in lessons.

Self-assured learners contribute more in discussions, explain their thinking clearly and approach written work with greater confidence.

This is often where the biggest shift is seen. Students who had become quiet or hesitant begin to re-engage. Over time, this supports both academic progress and how students view themselves as learners.

“I walked into my exams feeling well prepared and confident. My GCSE results were a reflection of the hard work I put in, and I know that dolphin EasyReader played a significant role in that success.”

Eva, student from West London

What this looks like in the classroom

A UK Department for Education project explored the impact of assistive technology across schools, with many staff reporting improvements in confidence and behaviour when assistive technology was made available for young people with neurodiverse needs and vision impairments.

In practice, accessible reading does not change what is being taught. It changes how students access the learning material.

Typically, this means students are working from the same text - often digitally - with options to use dyslexia-friendly or enlarged text, text to speech, different coloured backgrounds and audio-only as preferred. They can adjust how the text appears, so it is easier to read, though expectations remain the same for everyone in the class.

These reading accommodations support inclusive teaching without creating additional workload.

Supporting whole-school priorities

Accessible reading links closely to whole-school accessibility. It supports access to the curriculum for more students – including neurodivergent, vision impaired and print disabled readers – helping to embed inclusive practice throughout the setting.

It also strengthens whole-school literacy, enabling more students to take part in regular reading for learning and enjoyment.

For SENCos, assistive technology offers a practical way to support individual needs while maintaining consistency across the classroom.

Supporting Dyslexic students with assistive technology at your school

The British Dyslexia Association highlights that without the right support, many dyslexic learners struggle to access the curriculum and fall behind, particularly in written work and exams.

Accessible reading provides a practical way to remove that barrier. Introduce this technology school-wide and you’ll find that when students can access the text, their confidence and independence flourishes and they are far better placed to show their capabilities in exams.

“Access to customisable digital formats can encourage personal reading habits.”

Action Research Project, 2025

Accessible reading with Dolphin EasyReader

Dolphin Computer Access works closely with schools worldwide to support inclusive reading through practical, effective assistive technology. EasyReader Education is designed to make reading more accessible for students with dyslexia, vision impairments and other print disabilities.

With EasyReader Education, schools can:

• Provide accessible reading for students across devices

• Enable students to customise fonts, spacing and colours to meet their needs

• Provide access to 1.4 million books and curriculum materials

• Encourage independent reading on any device, at school and at home

• Introduce powerful revision tools for exam success

Dolphin is recognised as a leader in assistive technology for education, with a focus on software that fits into existing classroom practice, supporting both staff and students. EasyReader Education makes it simple for schools to introduce accessible reading without disruption or additional teacher workload.

Start a free trial

When you are reviewing dyslexia support and exploring assistive technology for your school, you are welcome to try EasyReader Education free for 30 days. Full teacher training and support are available throughout, to help your teaching staff embed accessible reading and support your SEND students.