Laura Deck, Bookshare Communications, Author at Bookshare Blog

Published August 7, 2015

It’s a Wrap! Thank You for Turning It Up & Telling the World

Summer is winding down and so is the Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge. For the past six weeks Bookshare members have found adventure in Travel & the Great Outdoors; tasted new cuisines in Food & Cooking; worked up a sweat in Sports & Fitness; played and tinkered in Games & Gizmos; saved the earth in Sustainability & the Environment; and explored their creative side in Crafts & the Arts. Many of you finally read that book you’ve been meaning to read for a long time. Thanks to all of the members who joined us on this journey and recommended their favorite…

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Published August 1, 2015

On the Americans with Disabilities Act at 25: Betsy Beaumon’s Op-Ed

Twenty-five years ago, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in the mainstream of American life. As we celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ADA, writes Benetech President, Betsy Beaumon, it is imperative to consider not only how far we have come in eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities, but also how to extend the ADA promise to a new generation of Americans, particularly in the education field. In her op-ed, Beaumon argues that the digital revolution could usher in a golden…

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Published July 30, 2015

Check Out Our Latest Video Tutorials and Book-Finding Tips

Get the Edge: Monthly Training and Support Solutions Need help using Bookshare? Check out our latest Learn it Now tutorials and How-To Guides in the Bookshare Academy. Learn it Now tutorials are two-to-three-minute videos that will help members get the most out of Bookshare. We are pleased to present our newest titles: Help Students Read Independently with Bookshare Web Reader (YouTube) (TeacherTube) (Transcript) How to Use Bookshare’s Reading Lists (YouTube) (TeacherTube) (Transcript) How to Find and Request Books (YouTube) (TeacherTube) (Transcript) Another useful resource in the Bookshare Academy is our How-To Guides. These guides provide step-by-step instructions along with screenshots to help…

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Published July 20, 2015

75 Reasons to Love Bookshare

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind Earlier this month, members of the Bookshare team traveled to Orlando, Florida, to attend the 2015 Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Founded in 1940, the Federation is the largest organization of blind and low-vision people in the United States with over fifty-thousand members. Thousands of members and supporters celebrated the NFB’s 75th anniversary and are a living testament to the NFB’s motto: You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. The Bookshare team was excited to have the…

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Published July 14, 2015

“Go Set a Watchman” Makes Literary History

Literary history is being made today with the publication of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. This much anticipated novel, written in 1957 before To Kill a Mockingbird, was believed to be lost for over 50 years. Lucky for Harper Lee fans all over the world, Go Set a Watchman is available in bookstores today. And even luckier for people who cannot read traditional books due to blindness, low vision, physical and learning disabilities, Go Set a Watchman is available on Bookshare, the world’s largest accessible online library, at the same time. With Bookshare, readers can listen to Go…

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Published July 10, 2015

Bookshare a Notable Advantage for People With Visual Impairments, says The New York Times

This post originally appeared in Benetech’s Blog on July 6, 2015 For people who cannot use standard print, the increasing availability of digital books and services such as Benetech’s Bookshare library are a boon that is unlocking the world of reading, says The New York Times. In a story titled “An App to Aid the Visually Impaired,” author Jonah Bromwich highlights Bookshare as a “notable advantage” of an app called Spotlight Text. This reading tool, explains Bromwich in App City, The New York Times’ biweekly column about influential mobile apps, is outfitted with adjustable scrolling text, adjustable font, sharp contrast,…

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Published July 7, 2015

Improve Your Reading Fitness with the Summer Reading Challenge

The Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge is sprinting into week 4! It’s never too late to jump right in and join the fun. Thanks to all of the members who have recommended their favorite books including these: From Thom in Albuquerque, NM: Garlic and Sapphires. This is a great book about the food critic for the New York Times (Ruth Reichl) that is hilarious and funny. It tells of her bad chairs and her disguises in New York. From @silly_singer in Pelham, NH: Been meaning 2 read Playing For Pizza by John Grisham 4 a while now. 2 read it now…

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Published July 3, 2015

Counting the Reasons to Celebrate in July

Bang the drum! Toot the horn! Throw the confetti! July is a momentous time to celebrate, and we hope you’ll join us in this month-long party. Happy 25th anniversary to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On July 26, 1990, the ADA was signed into law to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities. This legislation established a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions, and increasing full participation in community life. Through its global literacy initiatives…

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Published June 26, 2015

Cooking Up Some Good Reads in the Summer Reading Challenge

The Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge is off and running! You are welcome to join the fun any time. Just find a book (or three), read, and share your favorites with the Bookshare community. Here is some of the buzz on Twitter using the challenge hashtag, #TurnUp4Books: From @MSPruske in Los Angeles: How to choose btwn 2 Jacks (Kerouac/London) for Wk 1 of @Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge (Travel & Outdoors)?? Pick both. #TurnUp4Books From @silly_singer in Pelham, NH: With a little motivation from @Bookshare I have finally gotten around to reading “My Path Leads to Tibet” From @NightingaleOG: Since returning home…

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Published June 20, 2015

Celebrating Fathers in Life and Literature

Did you know that Father’s Day started in 1910 in Spokane, Washington, but didn’t become an official holiday until 1972? Whatever the reason, let’s give Dad his due, whether we are talking about biological dads, stepdads, granddads, foster dads, honorary dads, or any special dad in your life. Fabulous fathers can be found throughout literature including Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird; Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter series; Hans Hubermann in The Book Thief; Jean Valjean in Les Miserables; Charles Ingalls in the Little House series; Otto Frank in Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl; and Bob…

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Author: Laura Deck, Bookshare Communications