Fable CEO Alwar Pillai shares news with the team at the internal Fable Summit in April 2022.

Ultimately, our goal is to empower people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society. By working with companies who serve millions of users, we’re well on our way.

TORONTO (PRWEB)
May 17, 2022

Toronto-based accessibility platform Fable announced that it has closed a $10.5M USD Series A financing round. The round was led by Five Elms Capital, with participation from Difference Partners, Disruption Ventures and several notable angels including John Ruffolo, one of Canada’s most prominent investors and an advocate for accessibility and inclusion. This round follows a $1.5M USD seed round led by Disruption Ventures in 2020.

The accessibility industry has experienced rapid growth over the last several years, alongside the growth of companies prioritizing user experience.

“Accessibility isn’t just about people with disabilities,” says Fable CEO Alwar Pillai, “it’s about prioritizing users with the most complex set of needs, and as a result building a better experience for everyone.”

Fable already counts the tech world’s behemoths amongst its customers. Companies like Meta, Walmart and Microsoft are all using Fable to engage with people with disabilities. Large enterprises have complex products that are constantly being iterated and improved, and feedback from end-users is essential in that process.

After the successful launch and adoption of their flagship product, Engage, Fable is now tackling education. Fable Upskill aims to support customers’ entire inclusive product development journey.

“Accessibility is a growing industry, but the skill sets haven’t caught up to the demand. Fable Upskill helps customers level up their teams and build the skills they need to build products that delight all their users,” says Pillai.

Fable Upskill uses custom video-based courses to help teams gain the accessibility skills they need. And companies like Microsoft are jumping at the opportunity.

“Working with an organization that shares the same passion around developer accessibility that Microsoft does has been invigorating, which is why we are so excited for Fable’s latest fundraising news. We are looking forward to the awesome things to come and a continued accessibility partnership with Fable,” shared Dona Sarkar, Director of Technology – Microsoft Accessibility, Microsoft.

“Ultimately, our goal is to empower people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society. By working with companies who serve millions of users, we’re well on our way,” concludes Pillai.

On Global Accessibility Awareness Day later this week, Fable will be introducing a new skill development program created by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities.

More information about Fable is available at http://makeitfable.com.

Quotes

“Fable’s unique value proposition in the accessibility space and the platform’s ability to address multiple customer pain points throughout the Inclusive Product Development journey had us immediately excited. We are thrilled to partner with the Fable team and believe that Fable has a unique opportunity to help shape the rapidly evolving digital accessibility industry. Our goal is to support the business in expanding more of what has made them successful to date – bringing the experience of the customer to the forefront of the design and development process.” — Austin Gideon, Partner, Five Elms Capital

“Fable’s mission to empower people with disabilities is one that we desperately need. As someone who now experiences disability in my daily life, I see firsthand the barriers that people face. And as someone who has dedicated my life to the builders of tomorrow, it’s exciting to be part of a company that’s helping remove those barriers in the digital world.” — John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner, Maverix Private Equity

“It has been exciting to see Microsoft’s partnership with Fable grow over the last year. The partnership started with Fable working with us to do accessibility user research of Microsoft sites and services and has grown to include learning modules around how developers with disabilities can use Microsoft products to do their best work. Working with an organization that shares the same passion around developer accessibility that Microsoft does has been invigorating, which is why we are so excited for Fable’s latest fundraising news. We are looking forward to the awesome things to come and a continued accessibility partnership with Fable.” — Dona Sarkar, Director of Technology – Microsoft Accessibility, Microsoft

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ADHD is the most common neuropsychiatric disorder in children and among the most common in adults, affecting 17 million individuals of every age, gender, IQ, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic background across the United States.

LANHAM, Md. (PRWEB)
May 17, 2022

Many people might be surprised to learn that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neuropsychiatric disorder in children and among the most common in adults, affecting 17 million individuals of every age, gender, IQ, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic background across the United States. As we mark Mental Health Awareness Month in May, CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)―the leading nonprofit organization providing support, training, education, and advocacy for the ADHD community―aims to build awareness regarding the prevalence of ADHD, and the critical need for proper diagnosis and treatment by trained clinicians.

ADHD affects more than 10 percent of school-age children and more than four percent of adults in the U.S. This common disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in varying combinations, and can be mild, moderate, or severe.

Without proper identification, diagnosis and treatment, ADHD can have potentially devastating consequences, including school failure, job failure, family stress and disruption, depression, relationship problems, substance use issues, delinquency, accidental injuries, legal difficulties, and reduced life expectancy. However, with an individualized multimodal treatment approach that can include behavioral interventions, parent and patient training, educational and workplace support, and medication, ADHD is highly manageable.

As home to the National Resource Center on ADHD, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CHADD shares the following considerations for individuals who suspect they or a loved one might have ADHD and are seeking a proper evaluation and subsequent treatment plan:

1. Who Conducts the Evaluation Matters―To properly evaluate any child or adult for ADHD, identifying a trained healthcare provider is essential. There are several types of professionals who can diagnose ADHD, including clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, nurse practitioners, neurologists, psychiatrists, developmental pediatricians, and general pediatricians. Look for a provider who is an expert in evaluating and treating ADHD. You can ask the provider if they have received ADHD training, how long they have provided care for patients with ADHD, and how many patients with ADHD they treat in a given year. This will help ensure that you or your child receives care from an experienced ADHD professional.

2. A Proper Evaluation Takes Time―A comprehensive ADHD assessment is an involved process. For a child or adolescent, an evaluation typically requires one or more visits, each one approximately one or two hours in length. This allows for a thorough ADHD evaluation, including the identification of potential coexisting conditions or other reasons for behavioral concerns. Evaluation for a child should draw information from multiple sources, including parents, other caregivers, teachers/school records, or daycare providers, including the use of standardized rating scales. For adults, diagnosis typically takes between one and a half to three hours and includes a detailed history of past and current functioning, with additional information obtained from family members or significant others who know that person well. Some practitioners will also conduct tests for cognitive ability and academic achievement to rule out a possible learning disability. For adults, particularly for college students, it is helpful to include a parent or other close family member who can talk about the adult’s childhood.

3. ADHD Medication Should Be Monitored Regularly―If medication has been prescribed by a healthcare provider, the prescriber should require ongoing visits to monitor response, including therapeutic effects and any side effects. The prescriber should periodically monitor height (for a child), weight and blood pressure. Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD should ask the healthcare provider whether they offer parent education, including how to properly administer ADHD medication.

4. ADHD Typically Requires a Multimodal Approach to Treatment―A proper ADHD evaluation leads to the development of an individualized, multimodal treatment approach, which may include medication, behavioral therapy, and support at home, at school, on campus, and at work. Behavioral therapy for ADHD should be delivered by a licensed therapist, such as a psychologist, social worker, or mental health counselor. For a child, therapy will almost always involve the parent with or without the child and will focus on modifying behaviors using specific parenting strategies shown to be effective. Adults may benefit from treatment strategies similar to those utilized for children. Some adults have found that working with an ADHD coach is a helpful addition to their treatment plan. ADHD-trained clinicians skilled in cognitive behavioral therapy can also help adults diagnosed with ADHD learn new techniques to manage this common disorder.

5. ADHD Often Does Not Occur Alone―Research shows that over two-thirds of individuals with ADHD have one or more co-existing conditions. The most common include depression, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, and substance use disorders. Many of these conditions have symptoms that can mimic ADHD and may in fact be mistaken for ADHD. A comprehensive ADHD evaluation includes screening for co-existing conditions. When one or more co-existing conditions are present alongside ADHD, it is essential that all are conditions are diagnosed and treated. Failure to treat co-existing conditions often leads to failure in treating ADHD.

To learn more about ADHD, including how to recognize the symptoms and where to turn for evaluation, treatment, and guidance, please visit CHADD.org, contact CHADD at 310.306.7070, or call the CHADD Helpline at 1.866.200.8098.

About CHADD

CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is the leading resource on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), providing support, training, education, and advocacy for the 17 million children and adults in the United States living with ADHD, their families, educators, and healthcare professionals. As home to the National Resource Center on ADHD, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CHADD is the most trusted source of reliable, science-based information regarding current medical research and ADHD management. To learn more, visit CHADD.org or call 310.306.7070.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Interviews with ADHD experts are available upon request.