Abstract:

Introduction:
In a Technological University in Ireland, students undertaking a Masters in Computer Science have to option to work as part of a group of 4-6 students to develop a large, industry-ready software system that addresses a social need. In Semester 1 of the 2023-2024 academic year, four (4) students developed a project to create on online, cloud-based service to take in as input Microsoft Word documents, and to either automatically or manually improve them to make these documents more dyslexia-friendly.

The tool is designed to be used by anyone, but three categories of users were particularly focused on:
1. Those who would like to make their documents more accessible whilst not necessarily caring to learn about document accessibility.
2. Those who want to learn about document accessibility.
3. Those who are living with dyslexia.

Features of the system:
The system will take in Word documents, and reformat them to make the text more easily readable for people with dyslexia.

The system will allow users to made the following changes:
- Font Type: Users have the option to select from various font styles, including Lexend, Open Sans, Comic Sans, OpenDyslexic, and Arial, through the customization panel.
- Font Size: The document's font size can be fetched and modified. The default setting for the new font size is 12 points, although this can be customized by the user.
- Line Spacing: The system provides users with the flexibility to select their preferred line spacing, offering options that range from 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, to 2, and up to 3. The default line spacing is set at 1.5.
- Character Spacing: Users have the ability to adjust the character spacing within a range of 10 to 100%. The system's default setting for character spacing is established at 25%.
- Alignment: The system enables users to choose the alignment of the document content, offering options for centre, left, and right alignment. The default alignment is set to left.
- Colour Theme: The system provides users with the option to select various colours for both text and background.
- Italics Removal: The system offers users the functionality to convert italicized words in a document to a normal style. This is achieved by identifying italicized words at the run level and then adjusting their style to align with the standard style of the document.
- Heading Generation: The system is equipped with a feature that enables users to add headings to sections that lack them. The underlying mechanism for this functionality is based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. Specifically, the system identifies the most frequently occurring word within a paragraph and selects it as the heading for that section.
- Paragraph Bordering: The system offers a feature that enables users to add borders around paragraphs.
- Table of Contents Addition: Headings in the document can be identified by iterating through its paragraphs. A new paragraph is then created to list these headings in a numbered format, serving as the table of contents.

Conclusions:
The project created a user-friendly system, with a strong emphasis on data protection, and significant potential to have a positive social influence.

The key outcomes of the research is:
- Creating a renewed awareness of dyslexia.
- Enabling non-expert users to create accessible documents.
- Taking into account the variations of dyslexia.
- Data privacy and transparency.
- Creating a positive social impact.

Keywords:

Education, Technology, Dyslexia-friendly.