Bookshare has developed two new digital products to help those with disabilities.
Bookshare’s Web Reader and Bookshelf were announced at the Assistive Technology Industry Association conference, held January 30 through February 2 in Orlando, Fla. The products were created to help those with impairments such as learning disabilities, physical disabilities or low vision.
The Web Reader will allow Bookshare members to open books, including NIMAC textbooks, in a browser without the need of any downloads or separate software. The Web Reader is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer 9 and above.
Web Reader allows individuals to adjust font size, colors and display format. In addition, the program allows greater functionality with Chrome, letting users read books multi-modally, being able to highlight words and text-to-speech capabilities.
Bookshelf, meanwhile, organizes books by any number of qualifiers such as topics, author or syllabus.
Teachers can place textbooks or assigned reading in the Bookshelf to be downloaded later; users also have the choice of logging in and using the Web Reader.
“The Bookshelf makes it easy for teachers to download the year’s reading list for multiple students at once, thus saving time,” said assistive technology specialist Justin Kolbe, in a press release. “It’s a good way of getting all the reading material organized in one place.”
Bookshare has the largest online library for people with print disabilities. The Web Reader and Bookshelf applications are free to Bookshare members.
