Dislectek: text-to-speech for accessibility in games

Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of the population, impacting reading fluency, comprehension, and overall accessibility in digital spaces (British Dyslexia Association, 2021). While text-to-speech tools exist, many lack precision, often reading entire screens rather than specific passages. This limitation can hinder engagement for players with dyslexia, preventing them from fully experiencing game narratives. Addressing this gap in accessibility, Lowtek Games developed Dislectek, a Unity-integrated plugin designed to improve text navigation for dyslexic players.

Dislectek is an intuitive, drag-and-drop text-to-speech solution that allows players to select specific sections of text within a game, offering greater control over how they interact with written content. Supported through an InGAME R&D voucher, the development process involved collaboration with game developers and accessibility advocates, including Abertay University’s accessibility group and Dyslexia Scotland. By integrating Dislectek into Unity, this research aimed to explore how targeted text-to-speech technology can enhance accessibility and usability in games while maintaining player immersion.

The plugin has been widely recognized for its contribution to game accessibility, launching on the Unity Asset Store in February 2021. It has been adopted by developers seeking to create more inclusive gaming experiences and has been highlighted in discussions on best practices for accessibility in digital entertainment. Dislectek's impact was further acknowledged when it won the Tools and Technology Award for Accessibility in Games at the Scottish Games Awards (2022). This recognition underscores its role in breaking barriers and ensuring that dyslexic players have greater agency over their interaction with in-game text.