How to Use the Dyslexia Ruler on Any Website
Learn how to use Helperbird's use the dyslexia ruler. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
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What is the Dyslexia Ruler?
The Dyslexia Ruler is a colored bar that appears on screen to help you focus on one line of text at a time. It works like a physical reading ruler that you might place on a book.
The ruler can follow your mouse cursor as you read, or you can set it to stay in a fixed position. This helps you keep track of where you are and prevents your eyes from jumping to other lines.
Who is This For?
This feature is helpful for:
- People with dyslexia who lose their place while reading
- Anyone who finds long lines of text hard to follow
- People with attention difficulties who get distracted by other text
- Students reading dense paragraphs or textbooks
- Anyone who wants help tracking text line by line
Step 1: Open Helperbird
Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar. It looks like a small owl and is usually in the top-right corner of your browser.
This will open the Helperbird menu.
Step 2: Open the All Features Section
Scroll down to the bottom of the Helperbird menu. You will see a section called All Features.
Click the arrow next to All Features to expand it and show all available features.
Step 3: Find Dyslexia Support
Look through the list of features until you see Dyslexia support.
It has a purple icon with a brain symbol on it.
Step 4: Open Dyslexia Support
Click on Dyslexia support to open it.
A panel will appear with three toggles at the top: Dyslexia ruler, Focus ruler, and Reading guide.
Below the toggles is a divider, followed by a Settings section where you can customize the ruler.
Step 5: Turn on Dyslexia Ruler
At the top of the panel, look for Dyslexia ruler.
Click the toggle switch next to it to turn it on. The toggle will turn green when it is enabled.
A colored ruler bar will immediately appear on the screen.
Step 6: Customize the Ruler
To adjust how the ruler looks and behaves, scroll down to the Settings section below the divider in the same panel.
Here you can change the height, width, color, and other settings to make the ruler work best for you.
Ruler Settings
In the Settings section, you can customize the following:
Height – Adjust how tall the ruler bar is. A taller ruler covers more lines, while a shorter ruler focuses on a single line.
Width – Control how far the ruler extends across the screen. You can make it cover the full width or just part of the page.
Color – Choose a color for the ruler. Popular choices are light blue, yellow, or beige. Pick a color that is comfortable for your eyes.
Opacity – Make the ruler more or less transparent. Lower opacity lets you see more of the text behind the ruler.
Follow Cursor – When turned on, the ruler moves with your mouse cursor. When turned off, the ruler stays in one place.
Position – When Follow Cursor is off, you can set exactly where the ruler appears on the screen.
Tip: Try enabling Follow Cursor mode so the ruler automatically moves to wherever you are reading. Combine this with a soft color like light blue or cream for comfortable reading.
Video Tutorial
Need Additional Help?
If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.
