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Readability Matters & Adobe Collaborate with Experts on New Approach to Reading
Research shows small changes to document formatting can yield big results to improve readability for all
LOS ANGELES Oct. 20, 2020 – With the recent increase in virtual learning, further adoption of remote work, and a growing population dependent on technology, digital reading is at an all-time high. Yet, in a world where customization is commonplace, personalized reading functionality on digital devices is lacking. Readability Matters, a tech for good nonprofit focused on building better reading, is excited to announce their partnership with Adobe and other experts in research and education as an important advancement in their mission to build a network of thinkers and doers committed to delivering personalized reading environments and empowering everyone everywhere to achieve more.
Today at the Adobe MAX 2020 virtual conference, Adobe Vice President and General Manager Mala Sharma unveiled Adobe’s new readability initiative building on Liquid Mode, an advanced tool in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app that makes it easier to read documents. New reading settings were created in partnership with Readability Matters and the University of Central Florida after years of joint exploration and discovery of how text personalization can unlock the secrets of improved readability for readers of all ages and abilities.
“The Readability Matters team has brought invaluable insights to help guide our research directions towards impactful findings on optimal reading formats,” Dr. Zoya Bylinskii, a research scientist with Adobe, said. “We look forward to continuing to learn from each other.”
“We know even subtle changes to text format can create dramatic changes in reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension,” said Kathy Crowley, Readability Matters co-founder. “This is true across young and old, good and poor readers and even those with excellent vision. Studies have also shown that better readers are more confident and have more educational, career, and life opportunities.”
Expanding on existing infrastructure is the most cost-efficient way to deliver higher reading performance because of its complementary relationship to other solutions. By working with like-minded partners and leveraging existing technologies like Acrobat Reader, Readability Matters aims to expand the availability of personalized reading formats and ultimately build a movement to bring better reading to all.
Rick Treitman, entrepreneur in residence at Adobe, and research partners Dr. Ben D. Sawyer of the University of Central Florida and Dr. Shelley Rodrigo of the University of Arizona will present “This Changes Everything: New Approaches to Reading” at Adobe MAX today, highlighting their collaboration with Readability Matters and other partners. They will present test results related to the use of personalized reading formats, reporting dramatic changes in outcomes for both children and adults.
“Coming from a tech business background, we created Readability Matters to help adults and children be the best readers that they can be,” Marjorie Jordan, Readability Matters co-founder, said. “Our partnership with Adobe is a huge step towards achieving that goal, and we’re looking forward to expanding collaboration with additional partners to advance this universal mission of Readability for All.”
For more information about Readability Matters, visit ReadabilityMatters.org. And for more on the Adobe partnership, read the announcement here.
About Readability Matters
The nonprofit Readability Matters works to build better reading. They engage an ecosystem of partners to deliver better reading environments, empowering everyone everywhere to achieve more. For more information, visit ReadabilityMatters.org.
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