How YouVersion Helps Dyslexic People Read God’s Word
By Movieguide® Contributor
The YouVersion Bible App provides an easy way for those who have dyslexia to understand scripture.
The app’s OpenDyslexic font came out in 2020. Its larger words, line spaces and weighted letters make it easier to read.
“I’ve always struggled with reading comprehension,” said Chirs Vaughn, a YouVersion team member with dyslexia. “It has been a source of shame, but having YouVersion care about my needs has helped me feel seen and supported.”
Of all neurocognitive disorders, dyslexia is the most common. “Approximately 10-20% of people have some level of it.” YouVersion shared in a blog. “That means 10–20% of people find it challenging to read God’s Word.”
“Instead of listening for the Holy Spirit, their brains are busy trying to decode the words on the page,” said YouVersion in a statement.
Now, those who have dyslexia can spend less time trying to figure out what words are and can spend more time dwelling on scripture.
YouVersion CEO and Pastor Bobby Gruenewald shared, “At YouVersion we’re passionate about removing barriers so that everyone has access to the Bible. We added the OpenDyslexic font to the app because we know some of our YouVersion Community processes written text differently. We hope this addition not only helps them feel like the app was made specifically for them but that it also leads them into deeper intimacy with God through His Word.”
“I’m thankful God has allowed me to help improve the Bible App for so many people like me,” said Vaughn.
The YouVersion Bible App recently achieved more than 700 million downloads worldwide.
Movieguide® reported about YouVersion’s new Chief of Content and Partnerships last year:
Former head of Meta’s global faith partnerships Nona Jones is ready to take on Bible illiteracy with her latest career venture.
“When I celebrated my fifth anniversary I had a moment of introspection,” Jones told CBN News about her role at the social media company. “I was like ‘Lord, you’ve allowed me to meet some incredible people, to learn some amazing things and to do things I never would have imagined through the work that I did at the company.’ And I was like, ‘But Lord I want to bring this to your kingdom. That was my prayer.’”
That prayer led to her new role as the chief content and partnerships officer at YouVersion, the creator of the Bible app.
“It’s a global team that essentially supports everything you see in the app,” Jones said of her work. “So, when you open the app, you’ll notice there’s the verse of the day. Then there’s typically a teaching video that will expound on the verse of the day. There’s prayer. There’s Bible plans and videos and all these different experiences in the app. My team is responsible for that.”
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