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Category: postsecondary

Get Inspired with an Individual Membership

Are you or your child or student ready to access Bookshare independently this new school year? Students with qualifying print disabilities can boost their academic independence by doing the following: Finding their own books Accessing teacher reading lists for school assignments Reading with the easy-to-use Bookshare Web Reader Make sure you or your child or student is ready with an Individual Membership! Teachers: Log into your Bookshare account and send pre-filled Individual Membership forms to your student’s parents (under 18 years) or to the students (18 years and above) so they can sign and send back to Bookshare. View detailed…

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Stay Connected to Get More Out of Bookshare!

In this blog, you’ll get the scoop on all your favorite online hotspots like the Bookshare blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest so that you can quickly reach our staff, get timely answers to your questions, learn about Bookshare products, trainings and events and connect with the broader community that supports people with print disabilities. Are you fully connected? If not, join us now! The Bookshare Blog If you like reading stories, the Bookshare blog is your best bet! It’s a great place to keep up with real-time news and events, learn best practices, and enjoy testimonials from members who use…

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Honoring Black History Month – February

February is Black History Month. Did you know that Carter G. Woodson originated Black History Week in 1926 in an effort to place African American history into the study of American history? In preparation for this event, here are titles to check out in the Bookshare library in honor of many individuals who impacted American history. We also invite you to join our discussions on Facebook about these courageous men and women. Carter G. Woodson—A Life in Black History by Jacqueline Goggin (HS, College, Adult) In 1912, Woodson (1875­­–1950) became the first and only individual of slave parentage to earn…

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Bookshare Listed Among World’s 100 Most Inspiring Applications of Digital Technology for Social Innovation

This post is reposted from the Benetech Blog. The Nominet Trust, a United Kingdom leading social tech funder, included Bookshare, a Benetech Global Literacy initiative, on its list of 100 global ventures using digital technology to solve some of the world’s biggest social problems. Through its innovative technologies, Bookshare is raising the floor for people with print disabilities (such as visual impairments, physical disabilities, or severe learning disabilities) by providing them with the world’s largest collection of accessible copyrighted content and reading tools. Bookshare currently has over 250,000 members and a collection of more than 220,000 titles, which are delivered…

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Vision Loss Hasn’t Stopped Veteran from Pursuing Career and Personal Goals

Brian Higgins is a six-year member of Bookshare. He is also a member of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) and a Supervisor of Computer Access and Technology in the Western Blind Rehab Center located in Palo Alto, California. Brian likes the Bookshare library because of its vast collection of titles and the team’s responsiveness to his professional needs. “I’ve taken college textbooks for a Veteran returning to college in to Bookshare and they scan it,” he said. “And I also like to recommend Bookshare’s new special collection of military titles to my friends at the BVA.” At work, Brian trains…

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FREE Trial Membership to Online Library Opens Lifeline to Reading for Disabled Veterans

Today, November 4, 2013, Benetech and Bookshare released this press announcement. Disabled Veterans Who Qualify Can Download 20 FREE eBooks with 30-Day Trial Membership! The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates that 13 percent of all U.S. Veterans, over 2.8 million individuals, now live with blindness, physical disabilities, or traumatic brain injuries. These print disabilities make it difficult, if nearly impossible, to read a newspaper, study a textbook or enjoy a bestseller. With the evolution of digital accessible books, disabled Veterans may have a new lifeline to reading through Bookshare, the world’s largest online library of…

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Journey with Dyslexia – Guest Blog by Robbi Cooper, a Bookshare Parent Member

Special thanks to Robbi, Andrew and Ben Cooper for their story and to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) for showcasing the Cooper Family.  Our October blog recognizes National Learning Disabilities Month. ************************************ My husband and my son are dyslexic. My husband, Andrew, did not understand that he was dyslexic until adulthood, long after reading difficulties in school left him frustrated – a fate that we did not want for our son. My son, Ben came into the world a bright and vibrant child, but when he entered kindergarten we were told that he was not learning the way…

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Guest Blog: “Dyslexia Should Be About Strengths, Not Shame,” by Ben Foss

Experts in dyslexia have for many years focused on teaching children to read in the conventional way. But there are hidden costs that impact many children who have a hard time in a mainstream classroom: shame and bullying. I’m dyslexic. When I was a kid, my mom read aloud to me. When I went away to college, I used to fax my term papers home to her in New Hampshire and have her read them to me over the phone so I could find my own spelling mistakes.  I went on to become the Director of Access Technology at Intel…

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Reading Lists to Get Organized for Back-to-School

In our last blog post, we shared tips to help you find your school books. Today, we want to help you keep those books organized for back-to-school with a great new tool called Reading Lists. What Are Reading Lists? Reading Lists (formerly Bookshelves) are virtual lists that let school sponsors and student members save and organize titles that can be accessed anywhere with Internet. How do Reading Lists help you? Teachers can create a class Reading List, like fifth-grade American Literature, and save titles for the semester. Whenever a student needs a particular book, just go to your Reading List…

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Back-to-School Books for Schools and Universities

Throughout August, we’re encouraging students to get ready for the new school year. You can start this now and get on the right foot by reading this blog and following the steps below.  In our last blog post, you read how to make sure your school or home accounts are up-to-date.  Today, let’s make sure you’ve got your books! Get the books you need! Start by getting your required book list from your school or DSS office, then follow these steps to success: Go to www.bookshare.org and log in. Use the search feature located at the top of every page…

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