eBooks for Disabled Veterans Archives

Published November 19, 2015

Making a Direct Impact on the Lives of People with Vision Loss

Disability advocates are often the first to say that people who are blind or visually impaired make excellent workers. Why? In addition to their unique strengths and talents, these workers are more likely to use assistive technology and have specific workforce training. They may have mentors, teachers, and close family members who support them. They may also take full advantage of knowledge resources, like Bookshare, to learn about their professional interests. When it comes to knowing about workers who are blind and about braille literacy and resources to train blind workers, Bookshare member Bill Powell, an Assistive Technology Director for…

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Published December 1, 2014

How did an Occupational Therapist Help to Build Statewide Delivery of Accessible Instruction Materials?

In 2010, the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) developed True AIM, a statewide initiative to ensure that all students with qualified print disabilities receive timely access to accessible instructional materials (AIM). To deliver on this promise, the Iowa DOE partnered with Benetech, Bookshare’s parent nonprofit. Nancy Dunn, an occupational therapist and Bookshare Mentor Teacher, supported this initiative at the Iowa Heartland Area Education Agency. She and others on the assistive technology team trained educators about the benefits and delivery of accessible instructional materials. Their efforts helped to build capacity in more than ten Iowa districts. What did Nancy and the…

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Published November 21, 2014

Learn About Thanksgiving With These Bookshare Titles!

There’s nothing more satisfying than curling up with a good read. So, we’ve selected these fun Thanksgiving titles for Bookshare readers of all ages to learn why the holiday is so special. As we turn indoors for some good ole fashion fun, we hope your holiday is warm and enjoyable! You never know what you can learn from a good book. Gobble, gobble! * * * * * * For younger readers: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie Ready, Freddy! #15: Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble The Thanksgiving Day Platter Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved…

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Published November 11, 2014

Blind U.S. Army Captain Teaches Us to Keep Learning and Serving!

In honor of Veterans Day, we salute Timothy E. Hornik, a Bookshare member and U.S. Army Captain who has a lifelong ambition to help Veterans who are visually impaired make successful transitions to civilian life. In 2002, Tim earned his military commission from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. In September 2004, he was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. That same year, sniper fire caused Tim to become blind. For the next eight years, Tim remained on active duty managing operations, and he was able to fulfill his desire to serve others. Today, he is a Licensed Master of Social Work at…

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Published October 28, 2014

Bookshare’s Updated Website Is Live and Helps You Do More!

Bookshare’s updated website is live, so please tell everyone you know who uses the library! This year, our team has been working extra hard to make some great new improvements to our website while keeping many core features you know and love. What’s extra cool is that the updated website is now mobile-friendly, so members can enjoy an improved on-the-go reading experience on tablets and smartphones. And as always, our website continues to be fully accessible. Let’s check what’s under the hood with the updated site! What’s New? Clear, streamlined information—Find out if Bookshare is right for you, and read…

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Published August 7, 2014

We’re Experiencing Exponential Growth at Bookshare!

We’ve reached two major milestones in our work to advance reading equality to underserved populations, and we’re shouting it out to the world! First, the collection now surpasses a quarter of a million titles, 286,033 to be exact as of today. We achieved this milestone thanks to the sheer dedication of volunteers, our staff, and partnerships with over 500 leading publishers, like Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Wiley, and many others who donate their digital files. Did you know that Bookshare also has well over 14,000 textbooks in the collection? Yes, that’s true! We also have vocational,…

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Published June 4, 2014

Mr. Mercedes…NEW Stephen King Thriller!

Nothing will start your summer reading engine faster than a suspenseful thriller! And who writes them better than Stephen King? Fans of mystery and suspense fiction are revved up for King’s latest book, Mr. Mercedes, just released! We’re delighted to have this new thriller available to download in the Bookshare collection of over a quarter million titles! If you are a Stephen King enthusiast, the good news is that Mr. King has forged into a whole new category of books—crime dramas. This one is being described as his first true detective novel. For this reason, we felt driven to include…

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Published May 16, 2014

Bookshare Support Question – What’s the Quickest and Easiest Way to Read Books from Bookshare for Individual Members?

Welcome to Bookshare’s support question of the month. In this inaugural post, our knowledgeable and responsive Support Team will address a commonly asked question from members just like you! Every month, the team will choose a new support topic to help you get more out of Bookshare, so make sure you subscribe to our blog for these great tips. Here’s our first month’s support question: “What’s the quickest and easiest way to access and read a Bookshare book for Individual Members?” Drum roll please… The answer is through the Bookshare Web Reader. This reader works on both Mac and Windows.…

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Published December 19, 2013

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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Published November 25, 2013

November – A Time to Give Thanks!

Any day is a good day to honor people, and November is the time to celebrate families, sacrifices made and the human spirit. So today, we give thanks for you! Our members, volunteers, teachers, sponsors, parents, disability advocates, Veterans, and everyone who works to make the world a better place. There are many ways we can express gratitude, such as painting a picture of loved ones, praising your child for reading a book, honoring a Veteran, sharing a life experience, hugging a pet, or enjoying a movie that is closed-captioned and accessible. Whatever holiday or tradition you celebrate this week,…

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Category: eBooks for Disabled Veterans