Works a treat. This is brill!
Sue Dowdall
Helperbird user
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.
Trusted by teams at
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
Founder & Developer, Helperbird
Core values
These values guide every feature, every update, and every conversation.
Accessibility for All
Everyone deserves a web they can navigate with ease. Helperbird is built to empower people to access information in a way that's right for them.
Empathy First
Helperbird was built from lived experience. Empathy is at the core of everything - designed with compassion to help others overcome their own challenges.
Simplicity & Ease
Tools that help shouldn't be complicated. Helperbird is designed to be simple and easy to use — no extra steps, just helpful features that work.
Continuous Growth
Always listening, learning, and improving. Helperbird evolves with each update, guided by your feedback and the changing world of accessibility.
Affordability Matters
A free version ensures accessibility for all, and Pro features stay affordable. No one should be left out because of cost.
Community-Driven
Every suggestion, review, and story from our community helps shape Helperbird. It belongs to all of us.
Stay connected
Follow along, share your story, or just say hi.
Have an amazing collection of assistive tools that have benefits for everyone. For me, the combination of Microsoft's Immersive Reader and Apple's reading machine voice (US Alex) makes Helperbird my first choice for processing web content.
Jim Sprialis
Assistive technology specialist
It an extension that makes reading easy while surfing the internet.
Mohammad F.
IT intern
This extension has been an absolute lifesaver. I have that fantastic combo of ADHD and Dyslexia while trying to go through college. I have difficulty keeping letters in order, seeing the gaps between words, and with ADHD on top, I lose focus A LOT. The immersive reader has been my new best friend. It drowns out the rest of the content on the page, changes the font to something I can read, and highlights the word as it reads to me. My eyes are forced to keep going in the right direction. I can slow down and pay attention to what I'm reading. I don't even have to go back and read the same paragraph 5 times to understand it! The screen overlay has been outstanding for eye strain and being able to distinguish between words and spaces. The custom font and spacing for research articles have been an enormous advantage! I can actually read the research papers now and not have this daunting 2 column fine print page to squint over.All around, this has been the best purchase I've ever had. I use this every day, with every assignment. I don't even struggle with story-based questions anymore. The immersive reader helps me read, listen, and understand the question all at once. I am still exploring what I can use this with and how it can make my academic career, and I keep getting impressed with every new way I find to use it. Seriously, try it out. You won't regret it at all. Even if you don't have dyslexia or ADHD, just try it out. You might find that it helps you understand the content you're trying to learn even better!
Mason Hunter
Helperbird user
I love Helperbird!!! It's very user friendly from someone who has learning challenges because of ADHD and Dyslexia.There are so many useful features and new updates.
Entertainment Studio
Helperbird user
Love this extension works beautifully overall.
Pauline Olsen
Helperbird user
Download Helperbird
Make browsing easier and more accessible with tools like Text to Speech, Immersive Reader, and more.