Accessible Application Prototype for Improving Digital Reading in People with Dyslexia: User-Centered Design and Usability Validation

Digital reading remains a challenge for individuals with dyslexia due to the limited availability of accessible tools tailored to their cognitive and perceptual needs. Although many digital reading applications offer basic personalization options, they often lack integrated mechanisms to support reading comprehension and user autonomy. This study presents the design and usability validation of an accessible mobile application prototype aimed at improving the digital reading experience for people with dyslexia using a user-centered design approach. The research followed a design thinking methodology that included a systematic literature review, analysis of documented user needs from peer-reviewed studies and dyslexia support communities, personas development based on published user profiles, and a competitive analysis of existing accessible reading applications. The design process focused on identifying key pain points and developing interactive prototypes that integrate advanced text personalization, visual and auditory supports, text difficulty analysis, and intelligent accessibility suggestions. The proposed prototype enables users to customize font type and size, color, and spacing; activate text-to-speech functionality; highlight words or lines; upload and edit texts in multiple formats; and receive automated recommendations to enhance accessibility. Usability and accessibility were evaluated through expert heuristic assessment using established usability principles and WCAG 2.1 guidelines. Results indicate strong adherence to usability standards, with experts highlighting effective feature integration and identifying the need for additional instructional support for advanced functions. Overall, the proposed application addresses key gaps in digital reading accessibility and provides a foundation for future empirical validation with end users.