Don’t Dis my Abilities, Make The World More Accessible For Them

My Aunt Wendy is an extraordinary person. Many would look at her and see “disabilities,” but she has many abilities. She makes crafts, is an expert at coloring, can beat most people in Wii bowling, and enjoys writing down people’s names and phone numbers. She was born with Spina Bifida and uses a wheelchair; she also is deaf and has the mindset of a child. She just celebrated her 47th birthday! When she was in school, there were not as many tools that could assist her with her education and daily life. However, students who have challenges now have many technology tools that can make their lives easier and their learning more enjoyable and meaningful. 

Using Bookshare to Make Reading More Accessible 

Librarians often spend a large amount of time developing their book collection, but for many students a print book is not the most accessible format. Bookshare is an online tool that can make reading more accessible for students. According to their website “people with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers can customize their

experience to suit their learning style and find virtually any book they need for school, work, or the joy of reading” (Benefit Technology, 2020). Students who qualify pay nothing for the use of Bookshare, and they have access to thousands of ebook titles that they can customize through the use of audio, braille, large font, and highlighted text (Benefit Technology, 2020). If the student is under 18, a parent has to sign them up; however, there are school options as well if the school wants to offer the resource to a larger number of students. Once students are signed up, they can select materials of their choosing to read on a device of their choosing. The option of using different devices, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone gives students another level of personalization and adaptability. If the school has an account, educators can also assign them materials for greater personalization. This can additionally allow for differentiated instruction in the classroom and in the library.

Bookshare’s Place in K-12 Education 

According to a review on CommonSense Media, Bookshare allows educators to “provide your students who have print disabilities the same independent reading and learning experiences as their peers” (Encarnacion, 2017). Therefore, librarians can help students sign-up for Bookshare, so they can read many of the same books that are available in the library in a format that works best for them. Collaborating with teachers is essential in finding students who would benefit from the resource and ensuring the resource is used effectively. With so many schools having 1:1 devices, students could easily download ebooks from Bookshare on their devices to read at school and at home. Bookshare offers resources for educators to begin their journey; here is the educator guide. The guide provides step-by-step instructions for educators to sign-up for a school account.

Additionally, screenshots like the one to the right are provided to help educators have a better idea of what the program looks like and how to navigate such things as assigning books and making book lists for students. As Copeland (2011) states when children enter our school libraries “we, as school librarians, have the incredible privilege - and responsibility - to make that child feel welcome and to support her learning process in every way we possibly can” (p. 66). Bookshare is just one piece of assistive technology that can help librarians support students who may not be able to fully enjoy the print materials in the school library. 

References 

Benefit Technology. (2020.) Read your way: Ebooks for people with reading barriers. Retrieved from https://www.bookshare.org/cms/

Copeland, C. A. (2011). School librarians of the 21st century. Knowledge Quest, 39(3), 64–69.

Encarnacion, M. (2017). Review: Bookshare. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/bookshare

Review by Monica Encarnacion, Common Sense Educ