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Category: General news

Benetech Wins All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development Grant to Improve Literacy for Primary School Students with Disabilities in India

This article was originally posted on Benetech’s blog on February 5, 2015. We are delighted to share that USAID, World Vision, and the Australian Government awarded Benetech a 2015 grant to improve literacy for primary school students who are blind in India. The new grant, under the three partners’ All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development literacy innovations competition, funds our proposed winning project to provide Indian students who are blind with mother tongue instruction and reading materials through Bookshare, our digital library of accessible books. This supports Benetech’s commitment to extend the benefits of Bookshare across borders 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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Celebrate and Learn About Black History with These Awesome Titles!

February is Black History Month, when we celebrate the achievements of African Americans and honor the generations of people who struggled to achieve equality in American society. Did you know that black history is also celebrated in other countries like Canada and the United Kingdom? In this blog, we have collected a number of worthy titles, many written by black authors*, that you can use in your classroom, read with your child, or read on your own. Titles for Younger Readers by Grades Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine True story of an ingenious man who mailed himself to freedom.…

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Benetech Names New President, COO to Massively Grow Social Impact

Benetech, the parent organization of Bookshare just announced the appointments of Betsy Beaumon as president and Mark Roberts as chief operating officer. Founder Jim Fruchterman continues as Benetech’s chief executive officer, evangelizing Benetech and advancing the technology-for-good field. The goal of the senior appointments is to increase Benetech’s social impact at scale and its capacity to create new social enterprises that use technology to deliver social good. Through its recently launched technological innovation arm, Benetech Labs, Benetech has been increasingly focused on developing business models, partnerships, and technologies that deliver new solutions to unmet social needs while also implementing and…

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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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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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Bookshare’s 2014 Winter Bulletin Just Released!

Our quarterly newsletter, the Bookshare Bulletin was just released! This Winter 2014 edition is a wonderful recap of a tremendous year and an exciting preview of 2015. Thank you for this amazing year and enjoy reading the bulletin!  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Giving Thanks and Looking Ahead A message from Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager, Benetech Global Literacy Program From our family to yours, we wish you the very best holiday season. Thanks to your support, Bookshare is serving more members than ever with a collection of…

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