Robert James
Founder & Lead Developer
Robert founded Helperbird with a mission to make the web more accessible for everyone. He writes about accessibility tools, browser extensions, and assistive technology.
Posts by Robert James
- Web Accessibility & Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts
Explore research on web accessibility and dyslexia-friendly fonts including OpenDyslexia. Learn what works to enhance learning. Explore the research on web...
2020-02-09
- Helping Students with Helperbird’s Reword Feature
A student success story about Helperbird's reword feature and how it improved reading comprehension to enhance learning. Discover how a high school student...
2020-04-16
- How Helperbird Transformed a Student's Academic Experience
Read Jamie's inspiring personal story of overcoming reading challenges with Helperbird's accessibility tools to enhance learning. Discover Jamie's inspirational...
2021-10-11
- TV and Movie Characters with Dyslexia
Discover inspiring TV and movie characters with dyslexia that can provide inspiration and positive representation for children and adults with dyslexia. See how...
2021-11-03
- Improving Marketing Workflows with Helperbird’s Immersive Reader
Discover how Alex used the Read Aloud and Text Spacing features to simplify his workload and manage campaigns more efficiently with Helperbird.
2021-12-19
- 3 Facts about Dyslexia and 1 Fact about Cats
Discover three important facts about dyslexia and learn how it affects reading, learning, and daily life. Understand what causes dyslexia, how it's diagnosed,...
2021-12-28
- Making PDFs Easier with Helperbird's PDF Reader
Follow Rory's personal journey with Helperbird's PDF reader and discover how it makes PDFs more accessible to enhance learning. Follow Rory's story as he...
2022-02-05
- The 5 Must-Have Accessibility Tools for Students in 2021
Discover the top 5 must-have accessibility tools for students in 2021 to empower and enhance their online learning experience. From text-to-speech and dyslexia...
2022-03-03
- Winner of Our Chromebook Giveaway
Celebrate our Chromebook giveaway winner and their exciting prize including a Chromebook and Helperbird Pro to enhance learning. Discover the winner of our...
2022-04-14
- Thanksgiving Day Message from Helperbird
A heartfelt Thanksgiving message from Helperbird team to our community, supporters and accessibility advocates to enhance learning. Discover the heartfelt...
2022-05-11
- Helping Students Succeed with Helperbird’s Accessibility Tools
Discover how Helperbird's comprehensive accessibility tools help students with dyslexia and learning differences to enhance learning. Discover how Helperbird's...
2022-06-23
- How a Teacher Changed My Life - A Story
A special message for teachers supporting students with dyslexia and other learning differences daily to enhance learning. Discover the inspiring story of how a...
2022-07-19
- Introducing the Next Big Release of Helperbird
Discover what's coming in Helperbird's future. Explore exciting new features and improvements planned to enhance learning. Get ready for the exciting next big...
2022-12-04
- Top 5 features of Helperbird to help your students in 2021
Discover the top 5 features of Helperbird that can make your class more accessible and productive in 2021 and 2022. From text-to-speech and dyslexia fonts to...
2023-01-21
- How to Use Immersive Reader in Google Docs, Step-by-Step Guide
Complete step-by-step guide to using Immersive Reader in Google Docs. A free tool for better reading support to enhance learning. Learn how to use Immersive...
2024-01-24
- Heads Up, Helperbird's Got Immersive Reader Too!
Discover Helperbird's free immersive reader feature. A powerful accessible and supportive reading tool for dyslexia to enhance learning. Facing issues with your...
2024-02-02
- Helperbird Featured on Icelandic National Radio
Helperbird was featured on Iceland's national radio station, RÚV, discussing accessibility tools and dyslexia support to enhance learning. Helperbird was...
2024-12-18
- How to Make Scans and Copies Accessible for Students
Learn how to make scanned documents and copies accessible by enabling OCR and other accessibility features to enhance learning. Learn how to make your scanned...
2025-01-07
- How the University of Alaska Champions Accessibility - March 25th
See how University of Alaska championed web accessibility and supported students with learning differences and Helperbird. See how the University of Alaska...
2025-03-25
- Free Features in Helperbird - A Guide for Parents and Families
A complete guide to Helperbird's free accessibility features helping children read, write and learn with support to enhance learning. Discover all the free...
2026-02-10
- How Helperbird Makes Everyday Web Browsing Easier for Seniors
Discover how Helperbird helps senior citizens browse the web more comfortably with larger text, text-to-speech, simplified pages, and reading tools designed for...
2026-03-24
- How Helperbird Supports Senior Citizens at Legal Aid Kiosks
Learn how Helperbird makes legal aid kiosks more accessible for senior citizens with text-to-speech, larger text, reading support, and simplified layouts. A...
2026-03-24
- How Libraries and Community Centers Use Helperbird to Support Senior Visitors
Learn how public libraries and community centers deploy Helperbird on shared computers to make digital resources accessible for senior citizens and older...
2026-03-24
- 10 Chrome Extensions Every Student with Dyslexia Needs in 2026
Discover the top Chrome extensions designed to help students with dyslexia read more comfortably and succeed academically in 2026.
2026-03-26
- The Best Free Accessibility Features in Helperbird You Can Use Right Now
Explore the powerful free accessibility features in Helperbird, from dyslexia-friendly fonts to dark mode and high contrast.
2026-03-26
- How English Language Learners Can Use Browser Tools to Read Any Website
Master web reading as an ELL student using translation, simplification, and pronunciation tools.
2026-03-26
- How Helperbird Helps Organizations Meet Web Accessibility Standards
Discover how user-side accessibility tools complement WCAG compliance efforts and expand access.
2026-03-26
- How Helperbird Works on Google Docs, Slides, and Classroom
Discover how Helperbird enhances accessibility across Google Workspace—from Docs and Slides to Classroom—with text-to-speech, reading mode, and more.
2026-03-26
- How Public Libraries Are Using Helperbird to Make Digital Resources Accessible
Discover how public libraries deploy Helperbird on public computers to serve patrons with diverse accessibility needs.
2026-03-26
- How to Make Any Website Easier to Read When You Have ADHD
Learn how to configure your browser to eliminate distractions and stay focused while reading with ADHD.
2026-03-26
- How to Set Up Helperbird for Your Child at Home
A parent's guide to installing and configuring Helperbird for your child's online learning and reading—dyslexia fonts, text-to-speech, and more.
2026-03-26
- How to Reduce Screen Fatigue While Working from Home
Combat screen fatigue with practical solutions including overlay tints, dark mode, and text adjustments to work more comfortably.
2026-03-26
- A Teacher's Guide to Setting Up Accessibility Tools on School Chromebooks
Help your students succeed with built-in and third-party accessibility tools for school Chromebooks.
2026-03-26
- 5 Ways Text-to-Speech Can Improve Reading Comprehension for Kids
Discover how text-to-speech technology helps children build decoding skills, reduce cognitive load, and improve reading comprehension.
2026-03-26
- Why Every University Disability Services Office Should Know About Helperbird
Helperbird offers modern, browser-based accommodations that complement and enhance university disability support services.
2026-03-26
- The Best Way to Mark Up PDFs Without Installing Anything
Draw, annotate, and highlight PDFs directly in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. No downloads, no uploads, no extra software.
2026-04-04
- How to Draw on PDFs — Pen, Shapes, Arrows and More
Helperbird now lets you draw directly on any PDF. Freehand pen, rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows with full color and stroke control.
2026-04-04
- Accessibility Profiles — One Click Setup
Discover Helperbird's new Accessibility Profiles feature. One click to enable dyslexia, ADHD, low vision, and more accessibility tools instantly.
2026-04-14
- World Book Day — Reading Should Be for Everyone
Celebrate World Book Day with us. Discover how Helperbird makes reading accessible for people with dyslexia and reading challenges.
2026-04-23
- Section 504 vs Section 508 — What Is the Difference?
Section 504 and Section 508 sound similar but cover very different things. Learn the difference between these two parts of the Rehabilitation Act and how they...
2026-04-30
- Mental Health and Your Screen — Tips for Digital Wellbeing
Mental Health Awareness Month: Discover how digital wellbeing impacts your mental health and practical tips using Helperbird to reduce screen fatigue and...
2026-05-01
- Thank You, Teachers — How Educators Use Helperbird
Discover how teachers are using Helperbird to support students with diverse learning needs in the classroom. From Chromebooks to Google Docs integration,...
2026-05-05
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026 — 10 Years of Building for Everyone
Reflecting on 10+ years of Helperbird, the journey from a college project to a tool trusted by 1M+ users. What accessibility really means and why we're just...
2026-05-21
- Assistive Technology Should Be Free — World Day for Assistive Technology
On World Day for Assistive Technology, we're talking about why free tools matter. The AT gap is real. Helperbird's 40+ free tools are our answer.
2026-06-04