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Category: free reading technologies

Canada Reads with Bookshare!

  Calling all Canadians…do you love to read a good story? How about 225,000 amazing stories, all available at your fingertips for FREE? Canadians with qualified print disabilities can easily access all the latest ebooks, like NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson, Oprah’s Book Club titles, like I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb, and CBC Canada Reads books, like When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid. Free ebooks—How Is This Possible?  The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) partnered with Bookshare, the world’s largest accessible online library for people with print disabilities, to offer a…

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Navigate Dyslexia with These Recommended Books for Parents!

Are you a parent of a child with a print disability, like dyslexia? As part of our efforts to support parents in navigating their child’s learning differences, here are two helpful books that were written specifically for parents by people with dyslexia. Ben Foss, dyslexia advocate and well-known author, wrote The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Learning to help families build a pathway to independence for children with dyslexia. Here is Ben’s three-step process: Identify your child’s strengths. Share those strengths with school administrators and educators. Explore technologies that will help your…

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Oh, The Places You’ll Go With Bookshare!

“Will you succeed? Yes, you will indeed. (98 and 3⁄4% guaranteed!)” – Dr. Seuss This positive message is one of the best known lines from the Dr. Seuss classic, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” This uplifting book is an all-time favorite of both children and adults and is the featured title for this year’s Read Across America Day. We celebrate this national event by encouraging all Bookshare members and book lovers everywhere to read this wonderful story. Read it yourself. Read it with a friend. Read it with your child. Read it to the end. The story reminds us of…

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Bookshare Member and Accessible ebooks Shine at TCEA and SXSWedu

“Learn Anywhere” was the theme of this year’s Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Conference, held February 3–6 in Austin. TCEA is one of the largest regional EdTech (educational technology) events in the U.S., and Benetech’s Accessible Books for Texas (ABT) team was on hand to demonstrate tools that help Bookshare members read accessible ebooks anytime, anywhere. Hundreds of Texas educators, administrators, school librarians, and school IT professionals stopped by the Bookshare/ABT booth to learn how their students with print disabilities can succeed at reading with accessible ebooks from Bookshare. They also learned about the wide variety of reading tools to…

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NEW Bookshare Academy! Essential Training Resource Has The Answers!

Are you looking for video tutorials or webinars to help you use Bookshare better? Do you need materials to train your school staff, parents or volunteers? Do you want to learn and earn continuing education credits? Bookshare Academy has the answers and resources for you! The Bookshare Academy is our new learning and training platform. It’s packed with information and learning opportunities for Bookshare members, teachers, parents, community service providers and trainers. What can you find in the Academy? Online learning – take online courses about Bookshare through our partner, Perkins eLearning, and earn continuing education credits. Video tutorials and…

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Bookshare and Benetech Take Center Stage at LDA 2015!

  We are very excited about the upcoming Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) 2015 Conference in Chicago. Why? Because we get to meet you, our members and supporters! Make sure that you attend these must-see events: Hear Betsy Beaumon, President of Benetech, Bookshare’s parent nonprofit, deliver the opening keynote titled Will the Current Tech Revolution Usher in a Golden Age for All Learners? on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 AM. Learn how to increase collaboration by attending the Bookshare session, Parents and Schools Working Together for Accessible Content, on Wednesday, February 18, 4:45–5:45 PM, Room W39. Learn how you can help…

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Student Transforms from Reluctant Reader to Top Accelerated Reader with Accessible Books!

This post was originally featured on the Accessible Books for Texas (ABT) website.  It features Reagan Reeves, a bright student with dyslexia, who not only used Bookshare to stay on track with his reading goals, but far exceeded them to become a top Accelerated Reader. This Texas eighth grader proudly says to his mom with a big smile, “I’ve downloaded and read over 200 digital books!”  His mom, Michelle, smiles too! Inside she is beaming because, finally, her son has embraced an educational resource that supports his reading challenges.  Reagan listens to accessible ebooks read aloud on portable technology devices.…

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Donor Spotlight: Lavelle Fund for the Blind

What is it like for a nonprofit to have a successful, lasting partnership with a private philanthropic foundation? And what are some of the social benefits and impact that may result from such a relationship?At Benetech, we’re fortunate to have had long-time support from funders who have been willing to bet on us. One foundation that has been a committed supporter of our work is the Lavelle Fund for the Blind. I’d like to share our experience with Lavelle, where they took a series of calculated risks in grantmaking.The Lavelle Fund exemplifies the tremendous social return that bold philanthropy can…

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Attending ATIA 2015? Get Bookshare Updates and Give Us Your Feedback!

Are you going to the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference in Orlando, FL? On Thursday evening, January 29, we will host a special ATIA session to meet with Bookshare members, ask and answer questions, and share feedback. You can also learn more about new and exciting developments at Bookshare and our parent nonprofit, Benetech. We hope you will join us!  Please RSVP. *****************************************************************  What: Bookshare: Latest and Greatest When: Thursday, January 29, 2015 Time: 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Place: Caribe Royal Orlando Hotel in Rooms Cayman I and II  Light refreshments will be served. ***************************************************************** Please also check out…

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Please Share this Amazing Video, Possibilities Abound with Bookshare!

Did you know that in the U.S. an estimated 2% of all students have a print disability? And that by third and fourth grade*, students who are behind in reading, have a greater chance of falling behind in all their subjects?  You can help to reverse this trend by sharing this awesome video, Possibilities Abound with Bookshare, created by students at Cogswell Polytechnical College. Imagine the realm of possibilities for more individuals with qualifying print disabilities in school and beyond. Watch the animated video now to learn: What is a print disability. How it affects a person’s ability and desire…

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