Life sciences publisher Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI), UK, has announced an agreement with Bookshare to provide their collection of nearly 500 titles in the areas of agricultural, animal and veterinary sciences, environmental sciences, human health, food and nutrition, leisure and tourism, microbiology and parasitology, and plant sciences.
Less than five percent of the books needed by people with print disabilities have typically been available in accessible formats, it has been observed. For students, that percentage has been even smaller. The rapid growth of the publisher programme has made it possible for Bookshare to include many specialty and independent publishers from around the world. Currently Bookshare has over 70 publishers contributing to the collection.
Bookshare seeks to provide equal access to printed content so that members can compete effectively in school, pursue their career of choice, and participate fully in the intellectual discussions of the day.
Through an exemption in the U.S. copyright law, (17 U.S.C. § 121) known as the Chafee Amendment, Bookshare serves a community of individuals with qualified print disabilities, such as visual impairments, physical disabilities or severe learning disabilities that affect reading. Proof of disability is required for membership. The library offers over 90,000 books, including K-12 textbooks, postsecondary textbooks, teacher-recommended reading, literature, children's books, reference works, and newspapers and magazines. Members can download books in the latest DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) and BRF (Braille Ready Format) file formats.
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