Pattern Glare

A visual perceptual phenomenon where repeated striped or lined patterns cause discomfort, headaches, eyestrain, or visual distortions such as flickering, shimmering, or apparent movement. Pattern glare particularly affects people with dyslexia, epilepsy, and migraine, and can be triggered by closely spaced lines of text on a page or screen. In digital accessibility, pattern glare is a significant consideration for text layout, as adjustable line spacing, background colours, and reading masks can reduce its impact and improve reading comfort for affected users.