Why we created Dyslex.ie to help with Dyslexia

Did you know that some of the most inspirational people throughout history have been dyslexic? Albert Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci, Keira Knightley, Muhammad Ali, Walt Disney, Steven Spielberg, Salma Hayek, and Richard Branson all combatted Dyslexia. Dyslexia is characterised by difficulty with learning to read fluently and with accurate comprehension.

It may be a learning disability, but it sure doesn’t mean you cannot learn. In fact, 1 in 10 people have dyslexia and up to 10 percent of the population are undiagnosed. Agatha Christie who has Dyslexia, wrote 66 detective novels, being hailed as an impressive mystery writer and playwright.

How did Dyslex.ie start?

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we learn, work, and engage with one another. Now that so much of our day to day life has been forced to move online, some people may find they are struggling to reach their full potential.

Kevin Cogan, the founder and creator of Dyslex.ie, is a second-year computer science student in DCU and Enactus member. Enactus Ireland supports 3rd level students to create, and implement, social entrepreneurial projects which have a positive impact on their communities. Enactus DCU are extremely proud to be representing Ireland at this year’s Enactus World Cup, where we will be competing against colleges from all around the world showcasing social entrepreneurial projects. It is a massive honour for us and also gives us the opportunity to spread the word of our potentially life changing software: ‘Dyslex.ie’.

Kevin was not satisfied with the existing dyslexia software available to the community, so he decided to create his own, which with the help of his Enactus DCU team, has led to the creation of Dyslex.ie. We at Dyslex.ie want to empower all members of the Dyslexic community and guide them to reach such levels of success and confidence. Dyslex.ie offers tailor made solutions to some of the issues many dyslexic people face when reading online.

How does Dyslex.ie work?

The software can be downloaded as a chrome extension so that dyslex.ie can be used across all websites. Users will then take a quiz to help us identify where they may be struggling in their reading ability. This identifies the exact changes and support that will help the user. With this data, the software automatically tailors the visual and textual formatting of any web page, for every single user.

Increase your reading time and reduce errors

Users can easily, at the click of a button customise all online material. It has never been easier to change word spacing, colours, font sizes, styles, page backgrounds and much more. Users can even highlight the line they are reading, so they do not lose track of where they are on the page. Students who have been trailing the software reported a considerable improvement in their reading speeds.

Dyslex.ie has already had a successful testing period, with 100% of users across six countries reporting an improvement in their reading ability. We are so excited to announce we have officially launched Dyslex.ie, where we will be offering an eight week free trial to all who download. This offer will be available to everyone for the summer.

As Enactus members, we believe in working towards a better and more accessible world for us all. Dyslex.ie is here to help you persevere! For more information check out our Instagram: @Dyslex.ie_ where we will be posting updates as well as facts about this very common learning disability. Or head over to dyslex.ie and join the community!