Currently, 285 million people worldwide live with vision impairment. This February, during Low Vision Awareness Month, Applied Design and the Braille Institute proudly unveil Atkinson Hyperlegible Next, an enhanced and expanded version of the award-winning Atkinson Hyperlegible typeface.
Originally crafted in 2019 to enhance readability for people with low vision, this next-generation typeface elevates its commitment to accessibility and usability while introducing groundbreaking features designed for a global audience. The impact of the original typeface has been remarkable, with 40 million impressions on Google Fonts, over 150,000 downloads from the Braille Institute’s website, and usage on more than 12,000 websites.
Atkinson Hyperlegible has transcended the digital realm, becoming integral to everyday life. It has been adopted as a downloadable font by Google, featured in Jamie Oliver’s children’s book Billy and the Giant Adventure, made available on Canva—a design tool with more than 170 million users worldwide—and even included in the permanent collection at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution.
Key advancements in Atkinson Hyperlegible Next include seven weights (up from two), each available in upright and italic styles for enhanced versatility. A new variable font format enables dynamic, customizable use in digital environments. The character set has expanded dramatically, growing from 1,392 to 4,464 characters per font and supporting over 150 languages—up from 27. Additionally, the introduction of a complementary monospace typeface ensures all characters occupy the same width, allowing for faster scanning in table-based and coding environments. This innovation has the potential to open up entirely new career opportunities for people with low vision.
Like its predecessor, Atkinson Hyperlegible Next remains free for use, modification, and distribution through the SIL Open Font License. This new version will further empower individuals to easily find and comprehend information, particularly in contexts like signage, digital interfaces, and printed materials. With inclusion at its heart, Atkinson Hyperlegible Next breaks new ground in accessible design while delivering unmatched flexibility for creators and brands worldwide.
“Atkinson Hyperlegible Next represents a major leap forward in accessibility,” said Brad Scott, Founder and Principal of Applied Design. “By addressing the needs of a global audience while continuing to prioritize readability, this new iteration ensures that inclusivity and innovation remain at the heart of our mission.”
“At the Braille Institute, we are deeply committed to breaking down barriers for individuals with low vision, and the success of Atkinson Hyperlegible has been a testament to the power of inclusive design,” said Sandy Shin, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Braille Institute. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Applied Design, whose dedication to advancing this typeface has been unwavering. With Atkinson Hyperlegible Next, we are proud to push the boundaries further, delivering expanded functionality, enhanced versatility, and global accessibility to serve diverse communities worldwide.”
