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The Marrakesh Treaty in Action: What You Need to KnowMembers of the World Blind Union stand behind a table containing books in chains
Published May 8, 2019

The Marrakesh Treaty in Action: What You Need to Know

On May 8, 2019, the United States joins the list of 82 member nations that have fully ratified the long-awaited Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. If you are wondering exactly what that means, you are not alone. This document outlines the basic provisions and implications of the treaty, especially as it affects the Bookshare community.

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Published April 6, 2017

From Brazil to Brooklyn

Bookshare helps Antonio Guimaraes navigate continents, schools, cities, and careers Antonio Guimaraes remembers those laborious days in college when he spent hours at the scanner using an OCR reader to convert his printed textbooks to digital text and audio. “I queued up some music and fired up my Kurzweil 1000. Two hours later I still wasn’t finished scanning my textbook, so I would take breaks and mark the next starting point with a paper clip,” says Antonio. Fortunately, for Antonio and others like him who are blind or visually impaired, the technology supporting reading software and assistive devices has advanced…

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Published November 11, 2015

Visually-Impaired Veteran Helps Peers Transition to Civilian and School Life

“Technology training, leadership empowerment, and accessible books make all the difference,” says Tim Hornik The word “awesome” doesn’t begin to describe the work of Tim Hornik, a retired U.S. Army Captain and chair of TAVVI , the Technology Association for Veterans with Visual Impairments, the technology committee in the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA). Tim is visually impaired and a long-time Bookshare member. We originally featured his work in 2014, and it’s no surprise that today he remains diligent to help returning veterans make successful transitions to civilian and school life. In our first blog, Tim was a busy new father.…

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Published April 28, 2015

Support Bookshare on May 5!

Bookshare is the thriving community it is today thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of all of you—members, parents, teachers, mentors, volunteers, partners, and friends! We’re so grateful for your continuous support and can’t wait to bring the gift of reading and educational opportunities to even more people. Please help us bring Bookshare to others who need our services by supporting our Silicon Valley Gives (SVGives) fundraiser on May 5, 2015. For those of you who may not have heard of it, SVGives is a community-wide day of giving hosted by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. On Tuesday, May 5,…

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Published April 13, 2015

What’s Next for Bookshare Members after College?

Bookshare enriches the lives of people with print disabilities well beyond school into their adult lives.  Often members tell us they now enjoy exploring new interests and hobbies and finding resources to help them with their careers. Members stay connected to the world through local and national news. They catch up on the hottest books their friends are reading, and they pursue lifelong learning. Our staff is catching up with college students about how they plan to use Bookshare after school, and today’s blog features Amber Steet, a Bookshare member since the ninth grade. Meet Amber Steet Amber has a…

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Published January 28, 2015

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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Published September 8, 2014

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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Published June 10, 2014

Support Question of the Month: How Do You Renew Your Individual Membership?

Renew Your Bookshare Membership Now! Our June support blog on how to renew your Bookshare Individual Membership is just in time for our Summer of Sleuth’s Reading Contest. Have you tried logging into your account, but were unable to download books? It’s possible that your Bookshare membership has expired. Make sure your membership is up-to-date by following the easy steps below and join us for a super fun summer reading event! The contest begins on June 16th. Steps to Renew as a Student Member: 1. Log into Bookshare, select “My Account” in your Task Bar. 2. Choose the “Student Status”…

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Published March 19, 2014

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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Published January 23, 2014

January Is Braille Literacy Month

Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France.  He is the inventor of the braille code, and students of all ages can read and learn about him in many titles in the Bookshare library. At age 16, Louis attended the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. He and other blind students would read by tracing raised letters in print with their fingers. Writing required memorization of these letter shapes to reproduce them on paper. The task of reading and writing were painfully slow, and few blind students mastered the technique. Some say that Louis would poke…

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