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The story behind Helperbird

What started as a personal project in 2015 became a mission to make reading, learning, and the web accessible for everyone.

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Hey there!

I'm Robert James Gabriel, the founder (and the one and only developer!) behind Helperbird. This project wasn't just a business - it was personal, created from my own experiences and needs.

Growing up in Ireland, school was a struggle. When I was 15, my English teacher told my parents I should drop out. That news was devastating, but my parents didn't give up on me. After testing, they discovered I had dyslexia, and with their support, I was able to turn things around.

In January 2015, during an internship at Teamwork.com, I created the first version of Helperbird to learn coding and help me study. What started as a small tool to make web browsing easier quickly grew into something much bigger. And coming up on ten years now, it's still just me here, developing and supporting Helperbird.

Helperbird's mission is simple: to make reading, learning, and navigating the web easier and more accessible for everyone. Whether you have dyslexia, low vision, ADHD, or just want tools to improve focus and productivity, Helperbird is here for you.

If Helperbird has made a positive difference for you, please consider leaving a five-star review - it helps others discover us and grow our mission.

Thank you for being part of Helperbird's story. My goal is to make a difference, and I'm honored to be part of yours.

With love,

Robert James Gabriel

Robert James Gabriel

Founder & Developer, Helperbird

Core values

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What People Are Saying

Join over 1,000,000 people who use Helperbird every day.

It's just a one-stop solution if I want to customize my page. With very good UI design.

g2.com review

g2.com review

Verified User in Design

So far ive got nothing but amazing things to say about this extension. It helps everyday life so much!

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson

Helperbird user

This chrome extension is absolutely amazing. I'm a Primary school teacher and it helps children with a broad range of needs. It's so easy to set up. I love the way it syncs across devices so set up is seamless across all the children's computers. The customizable features are a game changer for allowing children to enjoy reading and accessing the web in our school. The best application I have ever seen for school children. Looking forward to trying the iPad application soon.

Luke Mccarthy

Luke Mccarthy

Teacher

Love this extension works beautifully overall.

Pauline Olsen

Pauline Olsen

Helperbird user

this extension is amazing and has helped improve my productivity robert has also been a very nice person to deal with when I have issues the live chat feature is amazing and quick for a response it's a really great Chrome extension that helps a lot way worth the money I pay per month and is also just great to support great people making accessibility tools

Jack Salem

Jack Salem

Helperbird user

This is a great little extension, lightweight and non intrusive. With dyslexia its reading that's an issue, not the underlying intelligence. An aid such as this one, can help deliver the world to some who may not otherwise have received it. Great Work.

Colm Murphy

Colm Murphy

Helperbird user

Helperbird logo: Stylized owl with large yellow eyes and a beige face, against a green background.

Download Helperbird

Make browsing easier and more accessible with tools like Text to Speech, Immersive Reader, and more.