# Read Easy | Sherwin Vishesh Jathanna

> Created Read Easy, a Chrome extension enhancing online reading for dyslexia, increasing productivity by 36%. Available in the Chrome Web Store.

Source: https://www.sherwinvishesh.com/project/read-easy  
Copyright 2026 Sherwin Vishesh Jathanna. Text may be quoted with attribution. The design and source code are not licensed for reuse.

Created Read Easy, a Chrome extension enhancing online reading for dyslexia, increasing productivity by 36%. Available in the Chrome Web Store.

For a reader with **dyslexia**, the web is quietly hostile. Cramped lines, glaring white backgrounds, and typefaces where a *b* and a *d* look like mirror twins all add up to real fatigue and lost comprehension. **Read Easy** is a **Chrome extension** that reshapes any webpage into something far kinder to read, letting the reader bend the page to fit their eyes rather than straining to fit the page. Born at an *accessibility hackathon* (DubHacks 2024), it was built to reduce cognitive load and reading fatigue, and in testing it lifted reading productivity by **36%**.

### Type that is easier to read

At its heart Read Easy uses **OpenDyslexic fonts**, typefaces specifically designed with *weighted, heavier bottoms* so letters feel anchored and are far less likely to flip or rotate in the reader's perception. That small design trick meaningfully cuts the visual confusion that trips up dyslexic readers. Beyond the six OpenDyslexic variants, users can choose from **over 200 fonts**, including a wide selection from **Google Fonts**, so everyone can land on the shape that reads most comfortably for them.

### Tune the whole page

Everything is adjustable from a control panel that lives in the browser toolbar, with changes previewed *instantly*, no reload required. Sliders let you dial in **font size, letter spacing, line spacing, and word spacing** to break up crowding, while **color themes, dark mode, and color inversion** tame harsh contrast. A soft **background overlay** tints the reading area to cut glare, an **on-screen ruler** helps the eye track a single line at a time, and a **layout cleanup** option strips away menus, ads, and clutter so only the actual text remains. A one-tap reset always brings the page back to normal.

### Listen as well as read

Read Easy is not limited to the visual. Its built-in **text-to-speech**, powered by the browser's **SpeechSynthesis API**, reads content aloud so users can *hear and see* the words at once. Pairing visual adjustment with audio makes it useful not only for dyslexia but also for people with ADHD or other learning differences, and for anyone who simply absorbs more by listening.

### Private, local, and open

Everything runs *locally inside your browser*, so there are no external servers and no tracking, and your reading stays entirely your own. Read Easy is **open source under the Apache-2.0 License**, available on **GitHub** and the **Chrome Web Store**, with notes for side loading and Firefox compatibility. Its biggest influence was the **OpenDyslexic Project**, whose open fonts made the whole thing possible. More than a tool, it reflects a simple belief in *inclusive design*: technology should adapt to the person, not the other way around, and a small, well-made extension can genuinely help people read with more confidence and less strain.

## At a glance

- **Timeline:** Jan 2024 - Sep 2024
- **Type:** Hackathon Project
- **Event:** DubHacks 2024
- **Impact:** Increased productivity by 36%

## Technologies

- JavaScript
- HTML
- CSS
- Chrome Extension (Manifest V3)
- Chrome Extension API
- Web Speech API (SpeechSynthesis)
- OpenDyslexic Fonts
- Google Fonts Integration
- Accessibility & Text Processing

## Categories

- Chrome Extension
- Hackathon Submission
- Accessibility

## Links

- [Devpost](https://devpost.com/software/know-my-professor-8egskr)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/sherwinvishesh/Read-Easy)
- [Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/readeasy/dpenkpajlliccnkmbgdejbeoealnoopl)
- [Demo video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP4tDOSb0Bk)