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, when teachers and students walk into our library and ask if a book is available for a student with a print disability, I’ll check the online accessible library.
As an elementary librarian, I appreciate that I can tap into Bookshare for children’s literature and required chapter books. And, by assigning logins to the students on my Bookshare account, I can give them immediate access to books. This saves students and teachers time and effort. Some of our school librarians have also begun to mark books with stickers to indicate that they are available in accessible formats on Bookshare.
On the Bookshare website, we have access to information to teach parents about accessible ebook formats and reading tools that help students. I like having the ability to go online and view the archived Bookshare webinars and training tutorials.
We are now exploring how Bookshare can be a beneficial resource not only for students who are blind or visually impaired or who have a physical disability, but also for students with a learning disability, such as dyslexia.
Accessible Books For Texas Outreach Program
Additionally, in Texas, our schools can request on-site Bookshare training through the Accessible Books for Texas (ABT) program, which is funded by the Texas Education Agency. Through this state initiative, teachers, specialists, and librarians learn about the benefits of accessible education materials and how to establish Bookshare organizational and individual student memberships. We are taught how to manage books for students and how to create Reading Lists that make it easy for students to access books independently.”
Take the Next Step with Bookshare!
If you are a U.S. teacher, librarian, or parent supporting students with qualifying print disabilities, please spread the word about Bookshare, especially to your school’s administrators. You can share the key points in this blog about reading independence and emphasize that Bookshare is free for qualified U.S. students and schools. If you are a Texas K-12 public or charter school educator, contact the Accessible Books for Texas Outreach Coordinator in your region for free on-site training.
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