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Novara Consulting Group

Who We Are

Architecting accountable, accessible AI.

Our Mission

To help institutions make defensible decisions about the technologies that mediate communication access for Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing, and disabled people. We evaluate the systems institutions buy, build the public record those decisions need, and ship the technology the market fails to build.

Our Vision

A world where the AI adopted by public-serving institutions is accountable, evidence-based, and accessible by design, so that Deaf, DeafBlind, and disabled communities are never an afterthought.

Our Independence

We advise buyers, not vendors. We do not publish evaluative findings about any organization that has paid us within the preceding twenty-four months, vendor engagements are private and unrated, and all published work discloses its funding. This costs revenue, and it is the reason our findings are worth relying on.

Core Principles

01

Deaf-Led, Structurally

Deaf judgment governs our evaluation criteria themselves. Leadership is the structure of the work, not an endorsement added after the analysis.

02

Evidence Before Adoption

Claims are graded on what was actually measured and shown. Where evidence is absent, we say the evidence is absent, which is a finding, not a failure.

03

Procurement Literacy

We speak in solicitations, evaluation criteria, contract terms, and acceptance testing, because that is the language in which decisions actually get made.

04

A Documented Method

Published, versioned instruments separate an evaluation from an opinion. Our conclusions are visibly the product of a consistent process.

05

Universal Accessibility

We hold our own website, documents, and events to the standards we advise on. A firm that advises on accessibility and ships an inaccessible deliverable has ended the conversation.

Leadership

Ryan P. Odland, M.A., CRL

Co-Founder
Oversees editorial direction for Auxentia while leading the implementation of Novara’s governance frameworks, operational systems, and client delivery infrastructure.
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Heather M. Grizzle, M.A.

Co-Founder & Principal Consultant
Content Partner and Client Success Lead, ensuring technical insights are communicated clearly, consistently, and in ways clients can confidently act…
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How we govern ourselves: Accessibility Statement Privacy Statement
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