AIM Archives - Bookshare Blog

Published June 15, 2016

Bookshare Member Amare Leggette Competes in 2016 National Braille Challenge

Amare Leggette, an energetic eight-year-old from Eastover Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, will compete against nine students in the Apprentice age group at the 2016 National Braille Challenge. “Amare is a fast reader and eager learner,” says Holly Jeffries, his teacher of the visually impaired. “He has a natural ability to skim, comprehend, make contractions, and knows when to reread text. He also loves new vocabulary words and enjoys putting them on our school braille word wall. I know he is prepared for the competition and is ready to take home the prize!” Blind since birth, Amare has read…

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Published April 18, 2016

Texas Librarian Appreciates Bookshare’s Accessible Ebook Collection

Special thanks to Adair Apple, a Librarian in Evans Elementary School, Corpus Christi, TX for sharing the reasons why she chooses Bookshare to support students with print disabilities. “In our district, librarians are responsible for both print and digital accessible resources as well as adaptive technologies. Bookshare is one of the resources we use to support students with qualifying print disabilities, such as visual impairments and physical and learning disabilities that hinder reading. For effective learning, and since many children are more tech-savvy today, we want to get reading resources and technologies into their hands as early as possible. Now,…

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Published March 8, 2016

2016 National Education Technology Plan Resonates with Benetech Priorities of Equity and Accessibility

Benetech is a nonprofit company leveraging Silicon Valley technology and process to create and scale solutions for pressing social issues. Two Benetech initiatives, the DIAGRAM Center and Born Accessible, are cited in The 2016 National Education Technology Plan (NETP) released by the Office of Educational Technology of the U.S. Department of Education. The report recommends that “education stakeholders should develop a born accessible standard of learning resource design to help educators select and evaluate learning resources for accessibility and equity of learning experience.” More significantly, though, all of Benetech’s work closely aligns with these two key themes of the report:…

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Published February 9, 2016

Getting Ready for the Outside World: Bookshare Supports School’s Vocational Program

Aha moments and big smiles are the cues Jean Goodwin looks for in her adult students, ages eighteen to twenty, who have complex language, learning, and cognitive challenges. Goodwin holds a Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Mild-Moderate Disabilities. She is a lead teacher in the GROW transition program at Riverview School in East Sandwich, Massachusetts. The GROW acronym stands for “Getting Ready for the Outside World.” About GROW Structured like a college campus, this ten-month transition program enables students to live in dormitories, attend classes, and participate in an extensive internship program to learn how to function…

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Published February 2, 2016

High School Bookshare Member Prepares for Transition to College

“It is no longer difficult to find accessible books, and I will use Bookshare for a lifetime,” says Emeline Lakrout. “Just a few years ago, it was difficult to find accessible books,” says Emeline Lakrout, who has degenerative low vision. “I appreciate that my parents sought reading solutions for me starting at a young age. I have always been able to enjoy reading because of their efforts.” Now, at age seventeen, Emeline takes honors classes at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas. She is an avid reader and technology user. She is interested in all kinds of books…

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Published January 30, 2016

Meet the Bookshare Accessible Books for Texas Team at TCEA

TCEA – February 1-5, 2016 – Austin, TX At its annual conference, the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) brings together campus- and district-level educators to explore the role of technology in achieving best practices in teaching and learning. This year’s conference will feature more than 900 industry expert and peer-led presentations on technology integration across all curricula areas for pre-K through higher education. Do you support students with print disabilities, such as learning or physical disabilities or visual impairments? Will you be attending TCEA? The Accessible Books for Texas (ABT) team will be on hand in Booth #1856 to demonstrate…

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Published January 28, 2016

Heading to ATIA? Register Now for FREE Bookshare Training Sessions!

ATIA – February 2-5, 2016 – Orlando, FL Attendees of this year’s Assistive Technology Industry Association conference will learn about the latest trends, tools, and best practices in the field of assistive technology that can improve the lives of people with special needs. To learn more about Bookshare and how you can help students with print disabilities get accessible books and educational materials, we invite you to attend our presentations and training events. Bookshare Training at ATIA on Friday, February 5th Register now to reserve your spot in one of the FREE 30-minute Bookshare training sessions throughout the day. There is a…

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Published January 12, 2016

Students Talk about Accessible Books In Answer to Teacher’s Call to Read

Tanna Gallaher, a Dyslexia Specialist at Raymond E. Curtis Elementary School in Weatherford, Texas, encourages good reading habits to support lifelong learning. Ms. Gallaher’s motto is to read, read, read, and she advocates for independent reading at school and at home. Tanna is also a Bookshare Mentor Teacher and encourages parents to sign their student up for an Individual Membership to help them reach and exceed their academic goals. “It is important that students are able to choose what they are most interested in reading, whether that is fiction, nonfiction, magazines, websites, or other materials,” she says. “I encourage all parents…

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Published November 19, 2015

Making a Direct Impact on the Lives of People with Vision Loss

Disability advocates are often the first to say that people who are blind or visually impaired make excellent workers. Why? In addition to their unique strengths and talents, these workers are more likely to use assistive technology and have specific workforce training. They may have mentors, teachers, and close family members who support them. They may also take full advantage of knowledge resources, like Bookshare, to learn about their professional interests. When it comes to knowing about workers who are blind and about braille literacy and resources to train blind workers, Bookshare member Bill Powell, an Assistive Technology Director for…

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Published October 27, 2015

Living with Dyslexia – Changing the Future Together

This month, we are raising awareness about dyslexia and the myths surrounding people with this language-based learning disability that affects word recognition, spelling, and reading. Brain research says that with the right resources and accommodations, like accessible books and reading technologies, people with dyslexia can break through reading barriers, live incredible lives and reach immeasurable goals. So today, we want to shine a spotlight on some of our own Bookshare members and their reflections of living and learning with dyslexia. These members, and many like them, are strong advocates of people with dyslexia and learning disabilities. We hope their inspiring…

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