ST. LOUIS, MO – September 21, 2026 (STL.News) St. Louis-based private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners is expanding its investment in the accessibility-services industry by acquiring Braille Works, a Florida company that has spent more than three decades producing accessible communications for people who are blind or have low vision.
The transaction was completed through Allyant, a Thompson Street portfolio company specializing in digital, document and alternative-format accessibility services. Thompson Street and Allyant announced the acquisition Sept. 14.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition matters beyond adding another company to Thompson Street’s portfolio. Allyant said acquiring Braille Works more than doubles its alternative-format production capability, while Thompson Street said the transaction more than doubles Allyant’s production footprint and capacity and expands its presence into Florida.
The deal represents another step in Thompson Street’s multiyear strategy to build a larger accessibility-services platform serving businesses, government agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and other organizations managing communications for people with disabilities.
Braille Works Adds Production Capacity
Joyce and Lou Fioritto founded Braille Works in 1994, and it is based in Florida. The company specializes in converting communications into accessible formats including braille, large print, audio and accessible PDF documents.
Its customers span healthcare, financial services, government, education and private industry, according to the companies.
For Allyant, the acquisition provides considerably more than another accessibility brand.
The transaction expands the company’s physical production capacity for alternative-format communications at a time when organizations increasingly must consider accessibility across websites, mobile applications, documents and customer communications.
Ariel Kunar, CEO of Allyant, said the company had admired Braille Works for years because of both its work and its commitment to providing equal access to information.
“We’re honored to build on that legacy,” Kunar said in announcing the acquisition.
Braille Works CEO Robert Sket said the company expects Allyant to continue investing in its employees, expertise and innovation as the businesses combine.
The companies have not disclosed any layoffs, facility closures or other workforce reductions associated with the acquisition.
Thompson Street Has Built Allyant Through Acquisitions
The Braille Works transaction is the latest development in a strategy Thompson Street began years ago.
Thompson Street identifies Allyant as a current software and technology investment dating to 2019.
That year, the private equity firm acquired T-Base Communications, an accessibility company providing technology-enabled services for enterprise, government, and educational customers, particularly communications for people who are blind or have low vision.
The platform subsequently expanded.
T-Base and Accessible360 announced a partnership in 2020. T-Base acquired CommonLook in 2021. Thompson Street then combined T-Base, CommonLook, and Accessible360 under the Allyant name in August 2022.
The resulting company brought several forms of accessibility work under a single organization.
Those capabilities include digital accessibility auditing, accessible document services, document-remediation software, and converting communications such as billing statements, textbooks, explanations of benefits, and marketing materials into formats including braille, large print, and accessible PDFs.
Allyant also works with websites, mobile applications, customer portals, and other digital platforms.
Adding Braille Works substantially increases the alternative-format production side of that business.
The progression illustrates the buy-and-build strategy often used by middle-market private equity firms: invest in an initial company, expand organically and through complementary acquisitions, and combine specialized businesses into a larger platform.
Accessibility Market Faces Regulatory Changes
The acquisition also comes as accessibility requirements receive increased attention from governments and organizations responsible for digital communications.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a final rule establishing specific accessibility requirements for web content and mobile applications offered by state and local governments under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The rule generally requires covered web content and mobile applications to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA standards.
The federal government subsequently extended the compliance deadlines.
Under an interim final rule published in April 2026, state and local government entities with populations of 50,000 or more generally have until April 26, 2027, to comply. Public entities with populations below 50,000 and special district governments generally have until April 26, 2028.
The DOJ cautions that creating and maintaining accessible content requires planning even before those deadlines arrive.
The rule specifically concerns state and local government websites and mobile applications and should not be interpreted as imposing the same requirements on every private business. But it illustrates the broader regulatory environment in which accessibility providers operate.
Organizations also face accessibility requirements and responsibilities under other laws, contracts, and policies, depending on their sector and circumstances.
That creates demand for specialized companies that can evaluate and remediate digital content and produce information in formats accessible to people with disabilities.
Allyant Pursues Broader Accessibility Platform
Allyant says customer expectations are also changing.
Rather than hiring separate providers for a website audit, PDF remediation, braille production, large-print documents and other accessibility needs, Allyant argues that organizations increasingly want accessibility capabilities coordinated across multiple communications channels.
The company described the Braille Works acquisition as part of that broader strategy.
Combining the businesses gives Allyant services spanning digital accessibility, documents, software, alternative formats, accessibility testing, compliance support, and ongoing accessibility governance.
That diversification is especially relevant to large organizations that generate substantial amounts of customer or constituent information.
Banks produce statements and financial documents. Healthcare organizations generate patient communications and explanations of benefits. Governments publish notices, forms, and public information. Educational institutions distribute textbooks, course materials, and digital content.
Making those materials accessible can involve different technologies and production processes depending on the document and the needs of the person receiving it.
Braille Works gives Allyant additional capacity in the physical and alternative-format portion of that market.
St. Louis Private Equity Firm Has $4.5 Billion
The transaction also highlights the national investment activity of a private equity firm headquartered in St. Louis.
Thompson Street Capital Partners says it manages approximately $4.5 billion in assets, has completed more than 250 investments, and has operated across eight funds.
The firm invests primarily in three areas: life sciences and healthcare, software and technology, and business and consumer services and products.
Thompson Street describes itself as a middle-market investor that works with management teams to grow businesses both organically and through acquisitions.
Although Allyant is based in Ottawa, Ontario, the investment strategy and capital behind the platform are tied directly to Thompson Street’s St. Louis operation.
Braille Works is also not an isolated 2026 transaction for the firm.
Thompson Street’s deal announcements this year include acquisitions by portfolio companies ATIS and PestCo Holdings, a growth investment in Karpel and the sale of Data Dimensions to One Call.
In August, ATIS acquired AuditMate after acquiring Buckley Belcher earlier that month. PestCo Holdings announced acquisitions of Arrow Pest Control in June and University Termite & Pest Control in May.
Those transactions demonstrate the continuing role of acquisitions in Thompson Street’s portfolio strategy.
Advisers Confirm Details of Braille Works Deal
Additional disclosures from the companies’ professional advisers independently confirm the Braille Works transaction.
Sidley Austin represented Thompson Street and Allyant in the acquisition. Sidley said its team included attorneys working across mergers and acquisitions and private equity, executive compensation, tax, real estate, employment, privacy and cybersecurity.
The seller had its own team of advisers.
Hyde Park Capital served as Braille Works’ exclusive investment banker. Polsinelli served as the company’s legal counsel, while Warren Averett was its accounting adviser.
Hyde Park announced its role Sept. 17, three days after Thompson Street and Allyant disclosed the acquisition.
Neither the companies nor their advisers disclosed the purchase price, valuation, Braille Works’ revenue, financing structure, or valuation multiple.
Those figures therefore remain private.
Braille Works Brings More Than 30 Years of History
Braille Works’ history also distinguishes the transaction from an acquisition of a recently created technology company.
Joyce and Lou Fioritto founded the company more than 30 years ago around the principle of providing accessible information to people who are blind or have low vision.
Over time, its services expanded beyond traditional braille production to include large print, audio and accessible digital documents.
That experience is part of what Allyant says made the company attractive.
Thompson Street Managing Director Craig Albrecht characterized the acquisition as a “transformational combination,” citing the complementary capabilities of the two businesses.
The acquisition allows Allyant to pair Braille Works’ production experience with a platform that already offers digital accessibility and document-related technology and services.
St. Louis Capital Reaches Businesses Nationwide
For the St. Louis business community, the transaction is an example of economic activity that can be easy to overlook because neither the acquired company’s headquarters nor most of its customers are necessarily located in Missouri.
Private equity firms headquartered in St. Louis can deploy locally managed investment capital into companies throughout the United States and internationally.
Thompson Street is one such firm.
Its investments span software, healthcare, life sciences, and business services, and portfolio companies often make additional acquisitions as part of their growth strategies.
The Allyant investment demonstrates that approach particularly clearly.
Thompson Street initially entered the accessibility sector through T-Base in 2019. The platform later expanded through Accessible360 and CommonLook, consolidated under the Allyant brand in 2022, and added Braille Works in 2026.
That creates a seven-year development path from an initial accessibility investment to a broader international platform with expanded U.S. production capabilities.
Acquisition Positions Allyant for Further Growth
What happens next remains to be seen.
Neither Thompson Street nor Allyant has announced additional acquisitions associated with the Braille Works transaction, and there is no basis to assume another deal is imminent.
What is clear is that the acquisition materially expands Allyant’s capacity.
The company now combines digital accessibility, document accessibility, software, testing, and alternative-format communications with a larger production footprint, including Florida.
At the same time, regulatory requirements affecting government digital accessibility are approaching new compliance deadlines, while organizations across multiple industries continue to
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