Summer is the perfect time to catch up on all those books you have been meaning to read. It’s not too late to join our fun summer reading activity: Bookshare Bingo. The game of Bingo is believed to have originated in the 1920s by Hugh J. Ward who introduced it at carnivals around Pittsburgh and in Western Pennsylvania. Today, there are more versions of bingo than you can count, and our version involves reading at least five books that correspond to five categories in a row, column, or diagonal to get a bingo. Then you submit your Bingo card and…
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Appreciation for Bookshare’s Blue Ribbon Volunteers
One of the things that makes Bookshare so special is the community of volunteers that we have the privilege of working with. In recognition of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16), we wanted to acknowledge their contributions and share just how much we appreciate each and every one of them! The Bookshare volunteers are an amazing group of 182 individuals. Over the past year they have scanned, submitted, and proofed over 2,000 books for Bookshare, the world’s largest online accessible library for people with print disabilities. Bookshare receives the majority of its titles in the form of digital files directly from the 850…
Leave a CommentBenetech and the American Library Association Team Up at SXSW to Share Expertise on 3D Printing for Diverse Learners
At the recent 2016 South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, Benetech teamed up with the American Library Association (ALA) to present a session titled: “No More Yoda Heads: 3D printing 4 Diverse Learners.” Lisa Wadors Verne, Benetech Program Manager of Education Research and Partnerships, and Charlie Wapner, an information policy analyst for the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, discussed ways in which the education community – including libraries, museums, and schools – can leverage 3D printing to create learning opportunities for students with print and other disabilities. Research suggests that 3D objects are important for learning and reinforcing…
Leave a CommentBenetech Announces Partnership with RNIB and Publication of BISG Quick Start Guide to Accessible Publishing
Today, at the 31st Annual CSUN Conference in San Diego, Benetech is excited to announce the launch of two major efforts in the areas of literacy and disabilities. Launch of RNIB Bookshare The first is the groundbreaking partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) that will dramatically expand access to Bookshare, the world’s largest online library of accessible ebooks for people with print disabilities. The new online service, called RNIB Bookshare, will deliver accessible materials to schools and colleges in the United Kingdom and will provide curriculum materials for blind or partially-sighted, dyslexic, or otherwise print-disabled students.…
Leave a Comment2016 National Education Technology Plan Resonates with Benetech Priorities of Equity and Accessibility
Benetech is a nonprofit company leveraging Silicon Valley technology and process to create and scale solutions for pressing social issues. Two Benetech initiatives, the DIAGRAM Center and Born Accessible, are cited in The 2016 National Education Technology Plan (NETP) released by the Office of Educational Technology of the U.S. Department of Education. The report recommends that “education stakeholders should develop a born accessible standard of learning resource design to help educators select and evaluate learning resources for accessibility and equity of learning experience.” More significantly, though, all of Benetech’s work closely aligns with these two key themes of the report:…
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