What Don Johnston does

Don Johnston Inc. is an assistive technology company founded in 1980 that builds literacy and learning support tools for K-12 education, special education, and workplace accessibility. Its core products include Read&Write (a unified literacy tool integrating text-to-speech, reading accommodations, and writing support), uPar (a reading accommodations screener), Equatio (digital accessible math), and OrbitNote (PDF reader/editor), along with a special education curriculum suite spanning Unique Learning System, News2You, Equals Mathematics, SymbolStix Prime, L3 Skills, Positivity, Classics, and Inspire. Underlying capabilities include text-to-speech engines, word prediction, writing assistance, and accessible math tools, delivered through browser-based and desktop interfaces.

Don Johnston was acquired by Texthelp a few years ago, and Texthelp subsequently rebranded as Everway. The Don Johnston brand products (Snap&Read, Co:Writer, Quizbot, Word Bank) are being retired on December 31, 2025 with their functionality consolidated into Read&Write and other Everway offerings. The company maintains enterprise-grade compliance including COPPA, FERPA, GDPR, SOPPA, and ISO/IEC 27001 certification (issued by BSI).

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring software license sales to K-12 schools and districts, individual consumer/educator buyers via direct online purchase, and an emerging enterprise channel through Everway for Work targeting neuroinclusive workplaces. Distribution combines self-serve online purchasing with direct enterprise sales to school districts. The company claims reach to 32,000+ schools, operates from a US headquarters in Huron, Ohio, and employs 101-250 people.

Name

Don Johnston

Legal name

Don Johnston Inc.

Website

https://donjohnston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Don Johnston Inc., founded in 1980 and acquired by Texthelp (now Everway), provides assistive technology and literacy support tools including Read&Write, uPar, Equatio, and special education curriculum products to K-12 schools, districts, and enterprise customers across more than 32,000 schools worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assistive Education Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support) (EDAFAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

AT for Reading, Writing & Learning (Literacy/Executive Function) Tools & Training (EDAKAIAC), Assistive Technology for LD (Reading/Writing Tools & Training) (EDAKAJAH)

Keywords

• Assistive technology
• Literacy support software
• Reading accommodations
• Special education tools
• Educational software

Headquarters

HQ city

Volo

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Sale of software licenses for Read&Write and other assistive technology products to schools, districts, and individual users. Products being transitioned from Don Johnston brand (Snap&Read, Co:Writer, Quizbot, Word Bank) to Read&Write.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Don Johnston Inc. develops assistive technology software for literacy support, providing text-to-speech, reading accommodations, word prediction, and writing assistance tools for K-12 students, special education programs, and workplace users. Its flagship offering, Read&Write, unifies the functionality of legacy Don Johnston products (Snap&Read, Co:Writer) into a single literacy platform, with uPar providing a standalone reading accommodations screener.

Product overview

Everway (formerly Texthelp) acquired Don Johnston Inc. and is transitioning its product portfolio. The core offering is Read&Write, a unified literacy tool that consolidates functionality from Snap&Read, Co:Writer, and other legacy products. Products like Snap&Read, Co:Writer, Quizbot, and Word Bank are being retired on December 31, 2025, with their capabilities integrated into Read&Write and other Everway products. uPar continues as a standalone reading accommodations screener accessible at universalpar.com. The transition aims to deliver faster product development, improved performance, streamlined support, and more value through a simplified product lineup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Read&Write Unified literacy support tool providing text-to-speech, writing assistance, and reading accommodations for K-12 students with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. Consolidates the functionality of legacy Don Johnston products into a single platform under the Everway brand.
• uPar Reading accommodations screener that helps educators identify appropriate reading support tools for individual students. Available via universalpar.com and continuing as a standalone offering under the Everway portfolio.
• Snap&Read Legacy literacy support tool providing text-to-speech and reading accommodations for students with learning differences. Functionality is being consolidated into Read&Write, with the standalone product scheduled for retirement on 31 December 2025.
• Co:Writer Legacy writing support tool providing word prediction and writing assistance for students. Functionality is being consolidated into Read&Write, with the standalone product scheduled for retirement on 31 December 2025.
• Quizbot Legacy quiz and assessment tool supporting literacy instruction. Scheduled for retirement on 31 December 2025 as part of the consolidation into Read&Write and other Everway products.
• Word Bank Legacy writing vocabulary support tool helping students with word selection and vocabulary during writing tasks. Scheduled for retirement on 31 December 2025 as part of the consolidation into Read&Write and other Everway products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Snap&Read and Co:Writer being consolidated into Read&Write for faster product development and improved performance

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Everway (formerly Texthelp): Parent company of Don Johnston Inc. and the most direct comparator; offers Read&Write, Equatio, OrbitNote, Wriq, and a broad assistive technology suite for K-12, higher education, and workplace. As Don Johnston products are being consolidated into Everway's lineup, the two now operate as one combined portfolio rather than separate competitors.
• Microsoft Immersive Reader: Free, built-in reading accessibility feature embedded across Microsoft 365, Edge, OneNote, and Teams. Provides text-to-speech, reading preferences, and translation at no incremental cost, putting competitive pressure on paid Don Johnston reading accommodations.
• Apple Accessibility (built-in iOS/macOS tools): Apple's built-in text-to-speech, VoiceOver, Speak Screen, and accessibility features on iPad and Mac are widely deployed in K-12 one-to-one device programs. Represents the most significant free substitute for Don Johnston's paid literacy tools.
• Google Read Along / Chrome Accessibility: Google's ChromeOS, Chromebook, and Workspace accessibility features (Select-to-Speak, Read Along, built-in screen reader) are increasingly standard in K-12 device fleets. Competes at the OS layer with Don Johnston's web-based reading support.

Direct peers

• Kurzweil Education (by Cambium Learning Group): Long-standing provider of assistive literacy software (Kurzweil 3000) for students with dyslexia and other learning differences, used widely across U.S. K-12 districts. Directly competes with Don Johnston's Snap&Read and Co:Writer for district-level reading and writing accommodations contracts.
• Claro Software: Developer of literacy and accessibility tools such as ClaroRead, ClaroScanPen and WordQ that target students with dyslexia and learning disabilities. Comparable product set to Don Johnston's text-to-speech and word prediction functionality across K-12 and higher education.
• ReadSpeaker: Provider of text-to-speech and accessibility solutions used by publishers, education platforms, and enterprises. Competes with Snap&Read and Read&Write for embedded reading support within educational content and assessments.
• Learning Ally: Non-profit provider of audiobooks and reading support tools for students with dyslexia, blindness, and other print disabilities. Competes for the same K-12 special education and accommodation budget pool that Don Johnston serves.
• C-Pen: Manufacturer of portable scanning pens with text-to-speech and dictionary functionality for students with reading difficulties. Competes as a hardware/software assistive reading tool in the same special education use cases.

Emerging players

• Voice Dream: Mobile-first text-to-speech and reading tool popular among individual users, students with dyslexia, and assistive technology consumers. Provides a lower-cost, individual-license alternative to district-wide Don Johnston deployments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DonJohnstonInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/donjohnstoninc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Don Johnston