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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2022-02-05
- The 5 Must-Have Accessibility Tools for Students in 2021
See our 2021 picks for students learning online: Toucan for learning a language, Kapwing for video and subtitles, Helperbird for reading and Google Meet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2023-01-21
- How to Use Immersive Reader in Google Docs, Step-by-Step Guide
Open Immersive Reader inside Google Docs with the free Helperbird add-on: install it, highlight your text, pick Use immersive reader and press Play to listen.
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.
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.
2024-12-18
- How to Make Scans and Copies Accessible for Students
Turn on OCR when you scan, keep each page straight and test the file, so students can select, search and listen to scanned handouts. Includes a printable guide.
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.
2025-03-25
- Free Features in Helperbird - A Guide for Parents and Families
See every Helperbird feature your child can use without paying: text to speech, Immersive Reader, dyslexia fonts, overlays, a reading ruler, translate and more.
2026-02-10
- How Helperbird Makes Everyday Web Browsing Easier for Seniors
Bigger text, a zoomed page, stronger contrast and read aloud. The free browser controls that make everyday reading comfortable when your eyes get tired.
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.
2026-03-24
- How Libraries and Community Centers Use Helperbird to Support Senior Visitors
What a librarian can push to every machine, what admin policy cannot preset, and the two-minute setup that gets a senior visitor reading the screen again.
2026-03-24
- 10 Chrome Extensions Every Student with Dyslexia Needs in 2026
Compare ten Chrome extensions that make reading easier with dyslexia, from Helperbird's fonts, overlays and read-aloud to BeeLine Reader, OpenDyslexic and Kami.
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 Students with IEPs and 504 Plans
Learn how Helperbird's features directly support common accommodations in IEPs and 504 Plans, making assistive technology accessible across your school.
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
How Helperbird works across Google Workspace. The browser extension on Classroom pages, and the add-on sidebar inside Google Docs, Slides and Sheets.
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 on a PDF in your browser, add text boxes, and download a copy carrying your marks. What the Helperbird PDF Reader includes, and what it leaves out.
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 covers accommodations for people; Section 508 covers accessible technology. See examples of each, how they fit together and the Section 508 profile.
2026-04-30
- Mental Health and Your Screen — Tips for Digital Wellbeing
See how screen fatigue adds to stress, then try six settings that calm your screen: dark mode, overlays, reading mode, less motion, read-aloud and no autoplay.
2026-05-01
- Thank You, Teachers — How Educators Use Helperbird
See how teachers put Helperbird on school Chromebooks, use it in Google Docs and meet IEP and 504 accommodations, plus five steps to start in your class.
2026-05-05
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026 — 11 Years of Building for Everyone
Marking GAAD 2026: how a dyslexic student's 2015 college project grew to over a million users, what 11 years taught us, and five ways you can help the web.
2026-05-21
- Best Free Study Tools for Students with ADHD in 2026
Find ten study tools for students with ADHD, from reading mode, line focus and a reading guide to text-to-speech and dictation, and how to pair a few.
2026-06-03
- Best Free Tools for Low Vision Browsing in 2026
Make any website easier to see with low vision using ten tools: a magnifier, larger fonts, high contrast, dark mode, a bigger cursor, overlays and read-aloud.
2026-06-03
- 10 Free Ways to Make Reading Online Easier in 2026
Make any website easier to read with ten changes, from dyslexia-friendly fonts, reading mode and color overlays to more spacing, line focus and read-aloud.
2026-06-03
- How to Get Any Website or PDF Read Aloud to You (Free Text-to-Speech Guide)
Listen to any web page or PDF with free text-to-speech: highlight text, press play and follow each highlighted word, then pick the voice and speed you like.
2026-06-03
- How to Reduce Visual Stress When Reading on Screens
Learn what visual stress feels like, then ease it on any website with a colored overlay, softer background and contrast, more line spacing or a tinted ruler.
2026-06-03
- How to Use Voice Typing on Any Website - A Complete Guide
Dictate emails, essays, notes and forms on any website: how voice typing works, which punctuation to say, tips for accuracy and how it helps with dyslexia.
2026-06-03
- Are You Ready for WCAG 2.1 AA? A Plain-English Guide to ADA Title II
Learn what WCAG 2.1 AA and the ADA Title II web rule mean for US schools and public bodies, the April 2027 and April 2028 deadlines, and six steps to get ready.
2026-06-04
- 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
- Best Free Writing Support Tools in Your Browser for 2026
Get past the hard parts of writing with eight browser tools: word prediction, spell check, grammar checks, voice typing, a dictionary, an editor and read-aloud.
2026-06-04
- How to Extract Text From Images and Scanned PDFs for Free
Copy the words out of photos, screenshots and scanned PDFs with OCR in your browser, then search, translate or listen to them, plus tips for cleaner results.
2026-06-04
- Best Free Accessibility Tools for Seniors Browsing the Web in 2026
Make websites kinder to older eyes with ten browser tools: bigger text, page zoom, a larger cursor, read-aloud, high contrast, reading mode and saved profiles.
2026-06-08
- How to Translate and Read Any Website in Another Language: A Step-by-Step Guide
Translate a whole web page or one passage into your language, then have it read aloud with each word highlighted. A five-step routine for learners and families.
2026-06-08
- Helperbird Was Proud to Sponsor the 2026 CESA 7 Paraprofessional Summit
Helperbird was one of two sponsors of the 2026 CESA 7 Paraprofessional Summit in northeastern Wisconsin.
2026-08-18
- Introducing Helperbird Academy
Helperbird Academy is free, hands-on training. Work the tools on a real page, watch the page notice, and print a certificate. Nothing leaves your browser.
2026-08-30
- What's new in Helperbird 2026.9.6: a closer look
A tour of Helperbird 2026.9.6: easier PDF search and zoom, a simpler Dictionary, refreshed Reading Mode, thoughtful profiles, and Apple managed settings.
2026-09-06
- How Virtual Learning College Uses Helperbird
Virtual Learning College teaches students who cannot attend mainstream school. How they use Helperbird to remove barriers for neurodivergent learners.
2026-09-08
- Does Text to Speech Replace Learning to Read?
Teachers worry that listening replaces reading. Reading is decoding plus comprehension, and text to speech only bypasses one of them. What the evidence shows.
2026-09-19
- Does Voice Typing Replace Learning to Write?
Teachers worry dictation replaces writing. Writing is two jobs, not one, and voice typing only removes one of them. What the research found.
2026-09-19
- Helperbird Never Gives Students the Answer
The worry is that AI does the thinking. Every Helperbird tool points at the source material, never at the assignment. That line is the whole difference.
2026-09-19
- Is AI Summarizing Doing the Work For Students?
Sometimes yes. This is the AI accommodation worth being careful with, and here is the test that tells you when it helps and when it replaces the task.
2026-09-19
- Is Assistive Technology Cheating?
The answer teachers need when a student uses text to speech, voice typing or an AI summary. One question settles most of it, and it is not about the tool.
2026-09-19
- Helperbird 2026.9.28: more room to read and write
See the September 28 Helperbird update: free NotePad tools, a more flexible PDF Reader, calmer reading controls, smoother prediction, and clearer Pro access.
2026-09-28