Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 22, 2013

Why Circumvention for the Purposes of Access is Crucial A Bookshare Briefing Paper Prepared for the Diplomatic Conference for Visually Impaired Persons The distributors of digital content often use technological protection measures (TPMs) to discourage the making of unauthorized copies.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MAY 15, 2012

Poet supports image descriptions for electronic books created in the international DAISY standard for digital talking books and will be compatible with descriptions for ebooks in the EPUB3 format. DIAGRAM stands for Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

OCTOBER 29, 2018

Under Betsy’s guidance, Benetech is developing new software for social good enterprises to connect communities with inclusive technology: Service Net: Reshaping the social safety net in human services to better connect people to the services they need. I look forward to staying in touch with you about technology for good!

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 3, 2011

One of these sub-themes is “Accessibility: removing barriers and promoting disability-inclusive development.” Of course, accessibility is right up Benetech’s alley and the focus of our Literacy program. Thousands of ebooks pour into the library from over 168 publishers and textbook requests are fulfilled every month.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

We take their files and convert them to the DAISY format which is a digital format designed specifically to create accessible materials for people with print disabilities. We're excited about this trend and the opportunities it creates for the commercial availability of mass market accessible books. Why is this a big deal?

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 20, 2013

This is the field where I found my life’s calling, applying technology to meet critical needs of society, where the market is likely to fail. And when the idea of a peer-to-peer ebook library came to me, it was George who I went to with the idea. I especially want to acknowledge two people who helped make this award possible.

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eBook Award Copyright Syria 221

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

OCTOBER 27, 2014

“They get frustrated and don’t want to read,” she says, “but access to digital books and reading technologies changed all that for Zach.” Zach Bryant The change happened when Zach was in high school and his Assistive Technology teacher introduced him to Benetech’s Bookshare library. Thank you for your support!

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

I have good news: For $5 million a year, we can build a global library that provides tens of millions of people around the world who are blind, low vision, or dyslexic free access to books that will work for them. We have the technology. We have the ebooks. How can we solve a centuries-old problem for so little money?

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 18, 2019

The nonprofit Benetech team built the revolutionary Bookshare library for this community, all online, and based on the powerfully flexible ebook. You can take an ebook, push a button and make it Braille. This results in an ebook, which can be shared by Bookshare legally with many thousands of other disabled readers.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JULY 28, 2014

A passionate technology-for-good advocate, Gerardo has made major contributions to Benetech’s social mission since he joined us over four years ago. He oversaw the development of numerous products and services that allow us to drive social empowerment through technology across all our programs.

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Open Source Literacy eBook Empowerment 184

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

It became a burden to his family and caregivers to constantly drop what they were doing to turn a page, so he began seeking out ebooks. This reality changed when Frank found out about Benetech’s Bookshare accessible digital library for people with print disabilities. To continue this work, we depend on the support of generous donors.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

At Benetech, we always ask ourselves how our existing successful programs can reach more people who need our services and how we can apply technology in new ways to enrich and improve more lives. a11y accessibility Bookshare Braille DAISY ebooks Global Literacy print disabilities Reading' The majority of our members are U.S.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 15, 2009

Brief Comments on Accessibility Concerns on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) The disability community should be concerned about ACTA for two reasons: At its core it’s an anti-piracy agreement. The digital measures designed to defeat piracy usually end up equating accessibility with piracy.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 8, 2015

Guest post by Betsy Beaumon, President, Benetech We are seeking visionary leaders to join Benetech in applying technology to advance the rights of disadvantaged people around the world. We operate at the intersection of technology and social impact, and therefore our ideal candidates will demonstrate these dual interests and experiences.

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Nonprofit Tech for Good

MARCH 27, 2019

Humble Bundle is an online store that sells games, ebooks, and software. It’s highly likely that nonprofits using Facebook Fundraising Tools will get first access to the new Instagram Donation Stickers. To get access to the tools, your nonprofit must have a Google for Nonprofits account. Humble Bundle :: humblebundle.com.

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Tools Online Fundraising FAQ 275

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JULY 3, 2013

“As organizations,” Osborne said, “we must liberate spending to focus on the promotion, learning and innovation around braille,” and recognize that we ought to embrace today’s changing economics and technology so that braille can be part of an equation which delivers access to information for all, not just to those who can afford it.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 13, 2009

I think it’s time to write a series of short essays on the struggle for accessible books, starting with this brouhaha. In it, we pointed out the irony that the first generation of ebook readers being inaccessible to blind people. Ebooks on PCs have had text-to-speech capabilities for years (although not always enabled).

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 10, 2009

But, it's a dream that the commercial ebook vendors keep dashing. And that is setting back the cause of people with disabilities who need that kind of access. We have an action by Amazon that sets back years of work to make ebooks accessible. A recent example of this was web site accessibility. Roy Blount Jr.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 23, 2014

How can we use technology in a new way to improve people’s lives that is an order of magnitude better? Can we help stimulate the creation of far more technology-for-good ventures? Technology currently serves privileged groups through tools that provide access to education, literacy, health, and justice.

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Literacy eBook United Kingdom Accessibility 158

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

People with print disabilities around the world have a right to high-quality ebooks that they can read with assistive technology. Benetech’s Bookshare library continues to expand its international service providing accessible books and publications to members in more than 30 countries.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 11, 2013

Creating the World’s Largest Collection of Accessible Arabic eBooks Access to knowledge is the critical first step on the path to economic, educational, and social development. In 2011, we began collaborating with the Mada Center (Qatar Assistive Technology Center) to create accessible Arabic-language digital books.

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United Arab Emirates Qatar eBook Language 162

Tech Soup

JULY 22, 2014

Technology, especially, can be difficult to stay on top of with constantly updating operating systems and new versions of software. Thankfully, there are many free or inexpensive training programs that can help you polish your technology skills. Did you know that you can get access to discounted training programs through TechSoup?

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Training Train Resource Technology 87

Saleforce Nonprofit

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

Staff can now access the information they need through mobile apps instead of having to return to the office. Now, with data readily accessible, staff are seizing the opportunity to track the nonprofit’s various service functions. Transforming the Future Through Technology.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 5, 2015

Twelve years ago, the Fund made its first grant to Benetech, in support of the then newly launched Bookshare , our accessible online library for people with disabilities that get in the way of reading print, including visual impairments and dyslexia. This pilot paved the way for our work in the education field.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 26, 2014

One of their main challenges is that they do not have adequate access to educational materials that are necessary to learn and succeed in school. Accessible ebooks and Bookshare have helped sixth grader Kevin Leong overcome his reading challenges. The good news is that major changes in technology are reforming education.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

AUGUST 16, 2011

The goal of the DIAGRAM R&D Center is to greatly improve access to graphical information for students with print disabilities (for example, helping blind students get access to important graphics inside textbooks). But, it’s turned out to be one of the best surveys of assistive technology we’ve ever seen.

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Connection Cafe

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

We all live in a world filled with technology, which can prove to be a help and hinderance to our work and personal lives. Furthermore, for those of us in the nonprofit world who rely on technology every day to do our jobs, the efficiencies gained by this technology can make a significant impact in the funds we deliver to improve social good.

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Data Technology Community eBook 37

Nimble AMS

AUGUST 10, 2020

This required adapting their technology and related processes for remote access, collaboration , and security. We’ve been able to automate hundreds of processes, which saves our staff countless hours each day.” – Jake Adler, Chief Technology Officer, ASSH. This ebook is here to help guide you along that journey.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Gerardo Capiel, Benetech's VP Engineering, just sent me a couple of exciting screen shots on our Read2Go iOS application for accessible reading of ebooks. The first one shows the Special Education category on iTunes, with the Read2Go logo being used to represent the Literacy and Learning section.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Libraries for people who are blind or dyslexic are the primary source of accessible books in audio, large print or braille. Wouldn’t it make more sense to make it easier for people with disabilities to get access to the books they need for education and employment? We don’t have to ask for permission from the publisher or author.

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Tech Soup

OCTOBER 28, 2013

PCL is a nonprofit network of nine neighborhood libraries that provide free, accessible library services and serve as vibrant neighborhood hubs. Most recently, PCL has been a trailblazer in providing mobile technology to their patrons, redefining what library services means. Internet Lending Project.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 17, 2014

It also underscores just how critical a balanced copyright law is for technology innovation. As a different kind of Silicon Valley tech company—a nonprofit with a pure focus on social good—our goal is to see that the best of technology gets applied to social needs left unaddressed by for-profit businesses.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 7, 2013

While we’re extremely proud of our achievements in the field of accessibility and disability rights, we know that we’ve just scratched the surface of what we could possibly do to bolster parity of access to information by people with disabilities. We’re making securing new funding for Bookshare’s international expansion a top priority!

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

OCTOBER 15, 2012

With technology, you can do incredible things, but with a galvanized community of supporters who work together toward a greater good, we can do anything. By partnering with all these stakeholders, we reinvented the traditional library for people with print disabilities and brought modern ebook technology to this underserved community.

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Nimble AMS

JUNE 10, 2021

This approach ensures your organization is keeping up with the latest technological advances without budget-busting fees and broken customizations. Download this guide to discover three keys to adopting this kind of future-focused technology for your association. eBook: 6 things you should know before selecting your next AMS.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 10, 2014

However, she soon encountered the frustrating “accessible book famine” because very few books available were available in Braille. This reality changed when both Kevin and Sophia learned about the accessible online library Bookshare , an initiative of Silicon Valley technology nonprofit Benetech. Data is now a core resource.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 27, 2012

The first issue is that the treaty would not permit direct access by consumers to international authorized entities. Everyone who is not disabled globally can directly access Amazon.com and order books. Being silent on the big issue of circumvention would lead to a world where accessibility could be prohibited by contract.

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