cerebral palsy Archives - Bookshare Blog

Published December 27, 2014

Suspenseful High School Fantasy Takes Teens On Life-Lesson Journey

Bookshare members and educators alike will enjoy The Heart of Applebutter Hill, a suspenseful novel written by Bookshare member and author Donna W. Hill. Donna, who has been blind since birth, takes young readers on a fast-paced journey of high school mystery and fantasy to teach important lessons about bullying and stereotyping kids with disabilities. This is a great read for middle school and older readers. The main character, Abigail, is a gifted teen who is blind. She and friends, including a boy who uses a wheelchair, go on an amazing journey, encountering many prejudices along the way. They travel…

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Published December 6, 2014

Winter Holiday Titles That Will Tickle Your Funny Bone!

Looking for some holiday cheer? Check out these witty and quirky holiday titles! We bet one or more will tickle your funny bone, so put away those serious books and put on a smile. Why not share your favorite holiday read on Twitter or post a fun picture on Facebook of yourself reading? We’d love to be a tiny part of a reading experience that brings joy to you and all people. Ho ho ho and happy holidays! For Young Readers Honeyky Hanukkah by Woody Guthrie: A rollicking celebration as a boy and his dog invite friends and family to…

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Published December 1, 2014

How did an Occupational Therapist Help to Build Statewide Delivery of Accessible Instruction Materials?

In 2010, the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) developed True AIM, a statewide initiative to ensure that all students with qualified print disabilities receive timely access to accessible instructional materials (AIM). To deliver on this promise, the Iowa DOE partnered with Benetech, Bookshare’s parent nonprofit. Nancy Dunn, an occupational therapist and Bookshare Mentor Teacher, supported this initiative at the Iowa Heartland Area Education Agency. She and others on the assistive technology team trained educators about the benefits and delivery of accessible instructional materials. Their efforts helped to build capacity in more than ten Iowa districts. What did Nancy and the…

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Published November 21, 2014

Learn About Thanksgiving With These Bookshare Titles!

There’s nothing more satisfying than curling up with a good read. So, we’ve selected these fun Thanksgiving titles for Bookshare readers of all ages to learn why the holiday is so special. As we turn indoors for some good ole fashion fun, we hope your holiday is warm and enjoyable! You never know what you can learn from a good book. Gobble, gobble! * * * * * * For younger readers: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie Ready, Freddy! #15: Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble The Thanksgiving Day Platter Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved…

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Published October 28, 2014

Bookshare’s Updated Website Is Live and Helps You Do More!

Bookshare’s updated website is live, so please tell everyone you know who uses the library! This year, our team has been working extra hard to make some great new improvements to our website while keeping many core features you know and love. What’s extra cool is that the updated website is now mobile-friendly, so members can enjoy an improved on-the-go reading experience on tablets and smartphones. And as always, our website continues to be fully accessible. Let’s check what’s under the hood with the updated site! What’s New? Clear, streamlined information—Find out if Bookshare is right for you, and read…

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Published September 16, 2014

Bookshare Mentor Teachers Go Extra Mile to Inspire Independent Readers

Dedication is the one word we use when referring to the more than 500 U.S. teachers and specialists who participate in the Bookshare Mentor Teacher program. Because of their commitment throughout the school year, hundreds, if not thousands, of new educators, parents, and students with qualified print disabilities are now members of Bookshare. They can effectively use the library and reading technologies for academic success. Are you an educator who wants to go the extra mile to ensure reading equality and independence? Do you want to empower more students to stay on task with reading assignments in school and become…

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Published August 29, 2014

Winners of the 2014 Summer of Sleuths Contest!

We promised members that Bookshare’s 6th annual Summer of Sleuths reading contest would be the best summer contest to date. And guess what? It was! Congratulations to everyone who participated! From June 16 to August 1, 2014, 285 individual members, from kindergarteners to adults, grabbed their magnifying glasses and got busy reading and solving fun mysteries from detective stories in the Bookshare library. Did you have fun? Share your favorite book with us on Facebook or Pinterest, or Tweet about your experience at #SummerOfSleuths. Drum Roll Please…Here Are Our 2014 Winners by Category! Congratulations to all of the following contestants. …

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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 June 16, 2014

The Summer of Sleuths Contest Is Live. Enter Today!

It’s time to solve some clues! The Summer of Sleuths reading contest for U.S. Individual Members has officially launched! Put on your favorite detective cap, pull out your magnifying glass, and get ready to inspect some great detective books in Bookshare. Through Friday, August 1st, contestants will download, read, and solve clues within great detective books from Bookshare. For every clue you answer correctly, you will be entered into a drawing for awesome prizes like detective gadgets, gift cards and free year-long Bookshare memberships! (Read our initial contest announcement to learn more about the contest). Important Tips for Summer Sleuths…

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Category: cerebral palsy