TORONTO , May 19, 2022 – To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day, leading accessibility startup Fable is launching Pathways. Fable Pathways is a skill development program created by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. Courses are free to take and boast a Masterclass quality of video production.
The purpose is to empower and excite people with disabilities to pursue a career in the technology sector. In 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labour, 19.1 per cent of PWD in the US were employed, compared to 63.7 per cent of people without a disability. Similarly in Canada, according to Stats Can, 59 per cent of people with disabilities were employed, compared to 80 per cent of those without disabilities (while the rate of employment for persons with more severe disabilities was even lower).
Today Fable Pathways is launching with two courses. The first is "Getting started in web development" in partnership with Microsoft, which introduces VS Code and GitHub to screen reader users. Course instructors are specialists in their fields, and offer their expertise with the nuance of having built that knowledge as someone with a disability:
"Working with Fable to create my course was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. My hope is that the course provides the skills and coaching needed for learners to advance to their next level. Knowledge and my experiences are rewarding for me to share and Fable Pathways allowed me to do just that," said Kelly Ford, Senior Accessibility Program Manager at Microsoft and Instructor, Fable Pathways.
The second course released today is "Becoming a manager":
"One of the most critical components of management is communication, and I've had a unique journey of building that skill as someone who's hearing impaired and have relied on assistive devices since I was six years old. I'm thrilled to share what I've learned, and truly hope to see more people with disabilities in leadership roles in the tech sector," said Kate Kalcevich, Head of Accessibility Innovation at Fable and Instructor, Fable Pathways.
The launch of Pathways comes on the heels of Fable closing a US$10.5-million Series A financing round, announced earlier this week. The round was led by Five Elms Capital, with participation from Difference Ventures, Disruption Ventures and notable angels including John Ruffolo, one of Canada's most prominent investors and an advocate for accessibility and inclusion.
"People with disabilities are underemployed and Fable's in a unique position to influence that, while growing our business. Our goal with Pathways is to create the go-to resource for people with disabilities interested in advancing their careers in the tech sector and this is a great first step," said Abid Virani, COO and co-founder of Fable.
Fable Pathways is supported by ServiceNow, MIT Solve and the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.
Fable Pathways is now available at FablePathways.com.
About Fable
Since 2018 Fable has been helping enterprises build accessible user experiences by engaging with people with disabilities throughout the product development cycle. Organizations work with Fable to make products more accessible for over 1 billion people who live with disabilities. By doing so, Fable provides flexible work opportunities to people with disabilities in the technology sector.
Media Contact
Daniel Francavilla, Fable Tech Labs Inc., 1 888-212-3532, [email protected]
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