visual impairments Archives - Page 8 of 14

Published August 14, 2013

Get Ready for Back-to-School with Bookshare!

Back to School is a time for teachers, parents, and students of all ages to brush off the summer dust and get ready for a brand new school year. How can you be sure that you are ready to make this year a success on day one? By making sure you are prepared with the books, tools, and information that you or your students need before class begins. That way, you can spend more time focusing on teaching and learning and less time getting ready. Bookshare can help! Throughout the fall, we’ll provide you with step-by-step information to set up…

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Published July 29, 2013

Photo Journal: U.S. Official Visits Benetech and High School/College Transition Program Using Bookshare

Michael Yudin, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, visited our Benetech headquarters recently. He was on his way to observe a dual-enrollment transition program at Mission Middle College in Santa Clara. This unique collaboration of Santa Clara Unified School District and Mission Middle College offers new opportunities for high school seniors who were not performing well academically to complete high school graduation courses and accumulate college credits. At the technology demonstration, students, parents, and educators shared experiences with Mr. Yudin and Betsy Beaumon, our General Manager and VP. Bookshare student members demonstrated…

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Published July 17, 2013

Anna Martinez Wins Second Place in Technology Olympics for the Visually Impaired

Brenda Szymkowiak, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired for Plano ISD in Texas, is beaming with pride over the accomplishments of her eighth grade student, Anna Martinez. Anna just won second place in the Digital Media Access event at the 2013 Region 10 Technology Olympics. “Anna is quite the reader and competitor,” said Ms. Szymkowiak. The Region 10 Technology Olympics is an annual event held at the Education Service Center in Richardson, Texas. Students in third through twelfth grades compete and demonstrate their skills and knowledge of the latest technology equipment and educational resources for blind or…

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Published July 2, 2013

On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by Radical Braille Advocates… by Betsy Beaumon

On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by Radical Braille Advocates by Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager, Benetech’s Global Literacy Program I recently had the honor to speak at the first-ever Braille Summit, hosted on June 19-21, 2013 by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) and Perkins School for the Blind. With the goal of promoting braille literacy, this landmark meeting brought together braille experts from around the world to Perkins’ campus in Watertown, Massachusetts. My biggest takeaway from the summit: the time could not be more urgent, and more hopeful, for the future…

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Published July 1, 2013

Bookshare Celebrates 250,000 Milestone and Members of All Ages!

Bookshare is helping people with print disabilities around the world to read books for school, work, and fun so they can reach their personal goals and more fully participate in society. This summer, we celebrate a very important milestone: we now serve 250,000 members! Did you know that Bookshare members include students, adults, seniors, veterans, and international members in over 40 countries? We could not have achieved this milestone without the help of members, advocates, and partners like you. Your tireless efforts have helped to build Bookshare’s thriving community. And your continued support will help us reach hundreds of millions…

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Published June 23, 2013

Just in time for summer reading…Book recommendations for all ages!

Just in time for the Bookshare summer reading contest, check out our 2013 Summer Reading List! These include fun, fascinating, suspenseful, and inspiring stories recommended by The American Library Association . And, if you are not yet participating in the Bookshare “Catch Up on Summer Reading” contest for individual student members, start today and enter for a chance to win cool prizes like a tablet, gift cards, or Read2Go apps from Bookshare! Many thanks to the Bookshare collection staff for pulling these book recommendations together. Titles for Younger Readers Extra Yarn. By Mac Barnett . Illus. by Jon Klassen.…

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Published May 28, 2013

Special Education Teacher, Andrew Chalfin, and 34 Educators Champion a Mission—Access for All!

This Teacher Appreciation Month, we salute Andrew Chalfin, a special education teacher in East Rampo Central School District, NY. Mr. Chalfin wrote to us about the amazing educators in his district who now embrace Bookshare. They heard about the benefits the library can provide for students with print disabilities and wanted to be a part of the mission. With Mr. Chalfin’s support and hands-on professional development and training, 34 special education teachers in his district now effectively use the library to find the curricula and tools for students who qualify. “Not only is the Bookshare resource a time-saver (no more…

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Published May 16, 2013

Moms Say, “Bookshare Unlocks Reading Potential for Early Learners”

There’s no better resource than a mom to share quality educational tools, and these two moms are no exception. They are avid fans of Bookshare, an online library of digital accessible books and reading technologies free for U.S. students and children who qualify with print disabilities. A print disability is categorized as blind, low vision, a physical disability, or a severe reading disability, such as dyslexia. Thousands of educators and families across America now use the library routinely to provide K–12 and postsecondary classroom reading assignments, including textbooks, English literature, teacher recommended reading, periodicals, and pleasure reading, such as bestsellers…

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Published April 8, 2013

K-12 Assistive Tech Specialist Categorizes eBooks with New Bookshelf

When Donna Schneider, an early technology adopter and AT specialist in Brewster, NY, public schools, was asked to beta test Bookshare’s new Bookshelf feature, she jumped at the opportunity! “I love to try out new resources and technologies,” she said. “I knew that this tool could potentially save me a lot of time and eliminate redundant searches. Bookshelf makes it easy to organize and categorize books by students, grade, subject, textbook, summer literature, and even student-preferred formats.” Donna is a three-year Bookshare Mentor Teacher and was just elected to the 2013 Bookshare Advisory Board. She works with children in grades…

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Published April 2, 2013

New Bookshelf Tool Keeps Member’s Favorite Books ‘Top of Mind’

Avid reader Annette Moore, a relatively new Bookshare adult member, says Bookshelf helps her organize and track her favorite genres and keep them at the “top of her mind.” Annette has lots of diverse reading interests! “In addition to Christian fiction and romance, I like historical journals, books written in letter format, biographies, and I am a huge weather buff,” she said. “Bookshelf helps me categorize the books I want to read fast!” One of the books on Annette’s Bookshelf is called Letters Home to Sarah, a compilation of letters from a gentleman in the Civil War written to his…

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Category: visual impairments