accessible instructional materials Archives - Page 4 of 16

Published September 29, 2014

Individual Members Inspire Us to Read Independently with Bookshare Web Reader

Our members continue to inspire us! That’s why in this post, we’re sharing two stories of teen members who use Bookshare Web Reader to read about the things they love…independently. Bookshare Web Reader is a free reading tool for Individual Members and is a great way to access Bookshare books quickly and easily with an Internet browser. This web-based reader does not require specialized software. Read these inspiring stories now, and please share with others who want to read on their own! Kelly Enjoys Reading Freedom! Kelly Schneider is a 17-year-old Bookshare Individual Member who loves the flexibility of reading…

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Published September 25, 2014

Accessible Books for Texas Program Funded for Fifth Year and Offers Enhanced Spanish Language Support

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has just approved funding for Benetech’s Accessible Books for Texas (ABT) program for a fifth year, from September 2014 through August 2015. Benetech is the parent nonprofit of Bookshare. This funding supplements an existing award from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education, and allows Benetech to do even more via a state-level partnership with Texas. Through ABT, local outreach coordinators deliver customized, face-to-face AEM (accessible educational materials) and Bookshare training to Texas educators, parents, and students. Additionally, Bookshare applies dedicated resources to Texas membership and support questions and book requests.…

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Published September 2, 2014

Carson’s Journey with Technology Makes English Teacher Proud!

Earlier this year, we featured a blog and video by Bookshare Student Member, Carson Maxson. He and his English teacher, Sallie Spencer, from Olivet Middle School, Michigan, created the video “How Read2Go Moved My Life” for the first White House Student Film Festival. They wanted to demonstrate how Carson’s reading ability changed once he was introduced to portable technology and accessible ebooks to accommodate his learning disability. Carson’s story is not so unusual for kids with learning disabilities. They fall behind at an early age and cannot keep pace with other students. By fourth grade, Carson read at a first-grade…

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Published August 26, 2014

Team-Up for Textbooks: Volunteer to Help Students with Print Disabilities

Post written by Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager for Benetech and published on August 19, 2014 on the Benetech blog. * * * By Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager posted in Bookshare on August 19, 2014 – See more at: http://benetech.org/author/brendah/#sthash.zKQVLSuF.dpuf By Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager posted in Bookshare on August 19, 2014 – See more at: http://benetech.org/2014/08/19/team-up-for-textbooks-volunteer-to-help-students-with-disabilities/#sthash.p2N1sT90.dpuf By Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager posted in Bookshare on August 19, 2014 – See more at: http://benetech.org/2014/08/19/team-up-for-textbooks-volunteer-to-help-students-with-disabilities/#sthash.p2N1sT90.dpuf Across the U.S., thousands of students with print disabilities will start their school year without the textbooks they need for class. These students…

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Published August 19, 2014

Get Inspired for Back-to-School!

Reading is the key to inspiration, and you can start the new school year off on the right foot by making sure you have the books you need for class. Whether you are new to Bookshare or have been using it for years, follow these easy steps to get ready for Back-to-School! Update your account: Log in to Bookshare or sign up online! (Trouble logging in? Reset your password.) Individuals Check your membership status and provide any missing information. Schools and Groups Go to “My Organization” in the Task Bar. Go to “Members” and add new qualified students. For existing members, update their…

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Published August 7, 2014

We’re Experiencing Exponential Growth at Bookshare!

We’ve reached two major milestones in our work to advance reading equality to underserved populations, and we’re shouting it out to the world! First, the collection now surpasses a quarter of a million titles, 286,033 to be exact as of today. We achieved this milestone thanks to the sheer dedication of volunteers, our staff, and partnerships with over 500 leading publishers, like Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Wiley, and many others who donate their digital files. Did you know that Bookshare also has well over 14,000 textbooks in the collection? Yes, that’s true! We also have vocational,…

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Published July 25, 2014

NEW! Bookshare Parent Ambassador Program

A post by Lisa Wadors Verne, PhD, Manager of Bookshare’s Parent Outreach Program. Over the years, we’ve met many amazing parents who advocate on behalf of their children for accessible books, reading technologies, and educational resources like Bookshare. As a result, we’ve published some great stories about dedicated moms and super dads who have performed heroic acts to ensure their children get equal access to learning. We know that there are many more parents doing similarly amazing things for children with print disabilities every day. They may tell other parents about how their child uses Bookshare at home, advocate at…

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Published July 16, 2014

Bookshare’s Braille Gets an Upgrade!

Notice anything new about how you read Bookshare titles in braille? It’s gotten even better. Reading in electronic braille is popular among many of our members, who download titles in BRF, or braille ready format, on compatible reading tools. The Bookshare team is committed to braille literacy and providing braille content that is high quality and timely. If you want to learn more about Bookshare’s position on braille literacy, read this post titled “On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by Radical Braille Advocates,” written by Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager of Benetech’s Global Literacy Program. About the Upgrade In…

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Published June 13, 2014

From the Eyes of Fathers…Honoring Dedicated Dads!

We’re honored to feature two proud dads of Bookshare students. Mr. Drake Leong from Palo Alto, California, is the father of Kevin Leong, and Mr. Andrew Cooper from Austin, Texas, is the father of Ben Cooper. Both dads care deeply about their sons and are intimately involved in their education and use of Bookshare. These fathers represent the best in parental dedication to students with print disabilities. Today, we’re sharing their thoughts about their sons. Drake Leong “Life before Bookshare was very difficult for my son,” says Drake. Kevin suffered an unexpected brain injury when he was little and had…

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Published May 6, 2014

Sharing Best Practices to Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Day!

Today we recognize educators everywhere for their dedication to teaching. That’s why we’re featuring some of the country’s most effective educators and specialists who work with students with print disabilities. Did you know that across the country, there are nearly 500 Bookshare Mentor Teachers? They use the online library and reading tools in innovative ways in their classrooms and to train other teachers, students, and parents. Why Do Bookshare Mentor Teachers Do What They Do? When asked, they’ll tell you it’s for the children, teens, and older students who could not enjoy reading a book or studying advanced curriculum.…

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Category: accessible instructional materials