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Category: accessible books

accessible books (ebooks) can support students with learning disabilities, like dyslexia.

Bookshare is an Eye-Opener for New Canadian Members

Canadians with print disabilities are reading like never before through a partnership between the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and Bookshare, the world’s largest accessible online library. Canadians with visual, physical and learning disabilities can sign up for free Bookshare memberships and access over 345,000 titles! So how do Canadian members like Bookshare? Let’s check in with three new members. Vashti Persaud became a Bookshare member in March and is already amazed. “I’ve just started to download, but it’s been amazing! Ocular fatigue is a big issue for me. Ordinarily, I spend ten minutes in front of a computer…

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Congratulations to Bookshare’s Graduating Members

You’ve graduated. You are now ready to take the next step in life, and Bookshare can continue to be just as useful after school. Just ask Amber. Keeping her Bookshare membership after she graduates from the University of Texas at San Antonio will allow her to continue accessing a collection that has over 345,000 titles and counting. It grows literally every day with new titles, including conspiracy stories and books on the paranormal that Amber loves. Bookshare will also help her pursue her career as a teacher. Whether you want to grab a book that will help you in your…

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Send Students into Summer with Bookshare Web Reader

By Bookshare Training and Support team Summer is right around the corner! Before the final bell rings, empower your students to read independently with Bookshare Web Reader and encourage them to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge that starts on June 22. As we recently announced, Bookshare Web Reader is now available to students with organizational memberships. Giving access to students is easy – just follow these four steps: Add Members to your roster. Set a username and password for your member(s). Create a reading list and share it with the member(s). Add a book to the reading list. Now…

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Parent Learns About Bookshare through Twitter Chatter

We first met Jessica Prest, a parent from rural Massachusetts, on Twitter after she posted these tweets about her daughter: “Lily just finished her first chapter book in five days using Bookshare!”  “A year ago she hated to read. Today she finished a 25 pg. chapter book!” “My #1in5 #dyslexia #proudmom Thank u @Bookshare!” So began our quest to learn more about Lily, a young girl who once hated books, but now loves to read them from cover to cover. Jessica, Lily’s mom, describes her daughter as very bright, dynamic, and quite communicative. “At a young age, Lily talked a…

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Wiley Partners with Benetech to Make Content More Accessible to All Readers

Note: This blog is reposted from Benetech’s Blog. By Robin Seaman, Director, Content Acquisition Today, May 21, in recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we are happy to share that the global publishing company John Wiley & Sons has announced that, starting this month, it will begin including alternative text (alt text) in nearly all of its frontlist books. By incorporating alt text into its workflow, Wiley makes its content accessible to users of all abilities. The company developed its alt text guidelines in consultation with Benetech’s DIAGRAM Center and other industry standards organizations. Wiley is one of the first…

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Special Education Teacher Champions Year-Round Reading Programs

Melissa Hawkins, a middle school special education teacher in Baltimore, believes that reading year-round is a critical component of student’s academic success. As the chairperson of the Reading Committee at her school, she is the driving force behind several innovative reading initiatives that use a multi-pronged approach to engage and motivate students all year long. For example, STRIVE for 25! rewards students when they read 7, 14, 21, and 25 books by the end of the school year with a variety of prizes including snack coupons, certificates of completion, and a chance to win a Kindle. However, this is just…

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Turn It Up & Tell the World Reading Challenge

Are you ready to turn it up? Get ready to have a blast with the Bookshare reading challenge! This summer, we invite you to Turn It Up and Tell the World what to read. Who knows what’s cool better than you? No one – that’s why we want you to read and share your favorite summer books. You’ll help other members discover awesome new titles, and you’ll get tons of thanks and kudos from the Bookshare community on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the Bookshare website! How Does It Work? Read – find cool titles on Bookshare and read them Share…

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Turn It Up & Tell the World Reading Challenge

Are you ready to turn it up? Get ready to have a blast with the Bookshare reading challenge! This summer, we invite you to Turn It Up and Tell the World what to read. Who knows what’s cool better than you? No one – that’s why we want you to read and share your favorite summer books. You’ll help other members discover awesome new titles, and you’ll get tons of thanks and kudos from the Bookshare community on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the Bookshare website! How Does It Work? Read – find cool titles on Bookshare and read them Share…

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What’s Next for Bookshare Members after College?

Bookshare enriches the lives of people with print disabilities well beyond school into their adult lives.  Often members tell us they now enjoy exploring new interests and hobbies and finding resources to help them with their careers. Members stay connected to the world through local and national news. They catch up on the hottest books their friends are reading, and they pursue lifelong learning. Our staff is catching up with college students about how they plan to use Bookshare after school, and today’s blog features Amber Steet, a Bookshare member since the ninth grade. Meet Amber Steet Amber has a…

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Students on School Accounts Can “Read Now” Using Popular Bookshare Web Reader

Did you know that Bookshare Web Reader, the popular web-based reading tool that was previously available only to Individual Members, is now available for students on school accounts too? Yes! Bookshare Web Reader is so easy to use! All you need is a computer with an Internet connection, and you can find, open, and start reading Bookshare books directly within popular Internet browsers like Google Chrome and Safari. Your reading experience is easier, faster, and efficient! There is no software to install, and you don’t need to worry about downloading and finding book files on your computer or reading device.…

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