Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Humanware Announces December Free Chapter Download Titles

     
 

Free Chapter
Download
Program

ReadHowYouWant

December 2009 - 20 New Titles Available

Plus 25% Off All Purchases

December presents readers with two exciting opportunities! First, receive 25% off all purchases of braille and DAISY titles made at www.readhowyouwant.com/braille through December 31. Simply type in Promotion Code GRY7342W at checkout. The second opportunity allows you to preview 20 titles through the Free Chapter Download Program before purchasing them. First chapters of 20 bestselling and well-reviewed titles are available for download at www.readhowyouwant.com/humanware.
Please tell your friends and colleagues about the Free Chapter Download Program and the 25% December discount. ReadHowYouWant offers over 4,000 titles in accessible formats, including Classics and contemporary titles-all eligible for the discount.

The titles selected for the month of December are:
Adult Titles:
Living in the Light by Shakti Gawain (New World Library)
The Hamster Revolution by Tim Burress, Mike Song, and Vicki Halsey (Berrett-Koehler)
Signs from Above by Doreen Virtue (Hay House)
Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul T. Mason and Randi Kreger (New Harbinger Publications)
The Mystery of 2012 by Gregg Braden (Sounds True)
Transformation and Healing by Thich Nhat Hanh (Parallax Press)
Reinventing Yourself by Steve Chandler (Career Press)
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young (DaCapo Press)
The Iron Tongue of Midnight by Beverle Graves Myers (Poisoned Pen Press)
Attract Money Subconsciously by Peta Stapleton (Michelle Anderson)

Children/Young Adult Titles:
Extreme Habitats: Ocean Survival by Susie Hodge (Weekly Reader)
The Brain Full of Holes by Martin Chatterton (Little Hare)
See Jane Win for Girls by Sylvia Rimm (Free Spirit Publishing)
The Power to Prevent Suicide by Richard E. Nelson and Judith C. Galas (Free Spirit Publishing)
Warning: Volcano! by Autumn Leigh (Rosen)
I Wonder Why the Sky is Blue by Thelma Rea (Rosen)
Energy for the Future: Fossil Fuels by Andrew Solway (Weekly Reader)
Football in the Big East Conference by Adam B. Hofstetter (Rosen)
Superstars of Entertainment: Queen Latifa by Jacqueline Laks Gorman (Weekly Reader)
Careers in Robotics by Paul Kupperberg (Rosen)

The Free Chapter Download Program is a special program brought to you by your friends at ReadHowYouWant and HumanWare.
HumanWare, the leader in assistive technologies for people with print disabilities, and digital publishing innovator, ReadHowYouWant, are partnering to help individuals with reading disabilities and visual impairments discover the book reading device and the format that suits them best. People around the world are able to participate in this program, as well as purchase books on RHYW's website, www.readhowyouwant.com.
About HumanWare
HumanWare (www.humanware.com) is the global leader in assistive technologies for the print disabled. HumanWare provides products to people who are blind and have low vision and students with learning disabilities. HumanWare offers a full range of low vision products including the SmartView Synergy desktop video magnifier, the SmartView Pocket and Nano handheld electronic magnifiers, and the myReader2, HumanWare's unique "auto-reader". HumanWare's other innovative products include the BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for the blind in education, business and for personal use; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading digital audiobook players, and the ClassMate Reader, the only portable book player to offer synchronized text and audio for individuals.
About ReadHowYouWant
ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris's sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company's goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice-at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit: www.readhowyouwant.com.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

PLEXTALK and ReadHowYouWant Partner to provide free digital books to visually impaired readers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (on Nov 2, 2009)

Contact:

Bradi Grebien-Samkow: bradi@readhowyouwant.com
971-340-9853
Deana Valdez: dvaldez@shinano.comv
310-693-7629
Sydney, Australia, November 2, 2009†PLEXTALK®, the producer of the PLEXTALK® Pocket and other digital talking book players, and digital accessible publishing innovator ReadHowYouWant are partnering to help visually impaired readers discover literary classics in a convenient format that works for them.
Beginning in November, each month readers will be able to go to the PLEXTALK® website, www.plextalk.com to download five free titles from ReadHowYouWant's Classics collection. November's selected Classics titles are The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Herbert George Wells.
"We are very pleased to be able to partner with ReadHowYouWant," said Deana Valdez, Sales and Marketing Manager for PLEXTALK® North America. "Through our PLEXTALK® Pocket partnership with ReadHowYouWant, we are able to offer even greater access to and increased mobility for reading thousands of books available for download from ReadHowYouWant's extensive library."
ReadHowYouWant will be demoing the PLEXTALK® Pocket DAISY reading device at book industry events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and Book Expo America. Similarly, PLEXTALK® will present DAISY files from ReadHowYouWant's collection on their players at technology industry shows, including ATIA (Assistive Technologies Industry Association) conferences.
"We are delighted to be partnering with PLEXTALK®. The monthly giveaway program of ReadHowYouWant titles at the PLEXTALK® website furthers our mission to make more content accessible and easily available to all kinds of readers," says Tricia Roth, CEO of ReadHowYouWant.
Readers looking for more great books can go to www.readhowyouwant where they will find over 2,000 titles from in the Classics Library in DAISY 2.02 and NISO/2005 formats, as well as synthesized audio MP3 books for $9.99 each. In addition, ReadHowYouWant offers thousands of classic and bestselling titles in downloadable ASCII and Visual braille book files for $4.99 and $9.99. Visit www.readhowyouwant.com/braille for a complete list of titles available in braille, DAISY, and audio.

About Shinano Kenshi Co., Shinano Kenshi Corporation & PLEXTALK®

Shinano Kenshi Co. Ltd. is responsible for the development and manufacture of digital talking book players and other products sold under the brand name of PLEXTALK®. Shanano and PLEXTALK® assistive products are created to improve the quality of life, self-reliance and independence of their users. Shinano Kenshi Corporation is the North American subsidiary of Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd.

About ReadHowYouWant

ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris's sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company's goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice†at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit www.readhowyouwant.com.

Holiday Friends and Family Discounts on Large Print, Braille and DAISY Books

As you know, ReadHowYouWant is a new book publisher with an important social mission. We believe that readers should be able to choose the format of a book that suits them best. This presupposes a radically inclusive model for publishing that does not discriminate against readers who are unable to read a standard printed book. Our books are available in EasyRead™ large print formats in 16 to 24 point font sizes, braille, and DAISY—an audio format suitable for the blind, visually impaired, and individuals who are unable to hold a physical book.

ReadHowYouWant has a great selection of over 4,000 books—the Classics, Oprah picks, New York Times bestsellers, and titles from best-selling authors including Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Louise Hay, the Dalai Lama, and more. Over 75 publishers have partnered with ReadHowYouWant, including Wiley, Berrett-Koehler,  Allen & Unwin, and more.

As a special offer to all readers, we are offering a 25% discount on all orders placed between December 1 and December 31, 2009. Go to www.readhowyouwant.com, and choose the books you want to buy. When you check out there will be a box to enter your Promotional Code.

The Promotional Code is RFF7KT76.

Give the gift of reading to all of your friends and family. Please feel free to re-post this code and announcement on your website or blog.  Pass it along to your friends and family.

Purchasing books from ReadHowYouWant allows us to provide books for blind and visually impaired readers at the same time they are available to other readers.

Check out our site and let us know what you think.     

Monday, November 30, 2009

ReadHowYouWant CEO Tricia Roth News Release on Accessibility and Kindle

                  


For Immediate Release


Contact:

Bradi Grebien-Samkow: bradi@readhowyouwant.com

971-340-9853


Publishing Innovator ReadHowYouWant Bridges Kindle Gap

for Blind and Visually Impaired Readers



Sydney, Australia, November 23, 2009—Amidst complaints of Amazon’s Kindle inaccessibility for blind readers, ReadHowYouWant, a new technology publishing company from Australia, is leading the way in accessible publishing by using proprietary XML conversion software to repurpose books into a number of formats to meet the varying needs of readers who are blind, visually impaired, or have print or learning disabilities.


Now readers can choose between as many as ten different formats before they buy a book at www.readhowyouwant.com, including electronic braille, synthesized audio MP3; optimized, large print, 24 point bold EasyReadÔ print-on-demand books, and DAISY—a talking book format that produces audio along with the written text. DAISY books play on DAISY players, which are either standalone units or computer applications. DAISY is ideal for vision-impaired and blind readers, dyslexic readers, and for readers who are unable to hold a conventional book or turn pages. Testing is also being conducted on several specialized formats for readers with dyslexia and eye-tracking issues.

“Technology now offers the possibility of access to hundreds of thousands of books for blind and visually impaired readers.  It is unacceptable that The Kindle and other mainstream reading devices have been designed with no consideration given to the requirements of universal design. The introduction of the Kindle DX in some universities discriminates against blind and visually impaired students, and educators should join with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Syracuse University in rejecting this as a textbook replacement until it is accessible for all students,” says Tricia Roth, CEO of ReadHowYouWant.


ReadHowYouWant is reaching out to visually impaired readers through partnerships with leading assistive technology companies, HumanWare™  and PLEXTALK®. HumanWare's™ products include BrailleNote, a productivity device for blind people in education, in business and in their personal lives; digital talking book players; and a unique "auto-reader" for people with low vision. PLEXTALK® is the producer of the PLEXTALK® Pocket and other digital talking book players.


 "Through our PLEXTALK® Pocket partnership with ReadHowYouWant, we are able to offer even greater access to and increased mobility for reading thousands of books available for download from ReadHowYouWant's extensive library,” says Deana Valdez, Sales & Marketing Manager, PLEXTALK® North America.

Through its partnership with over 70 leading trade and university publishers, www.readhowyouwant.com/braille currently offers some 4,500 titles in braille, DAISY, and audio MP3 formats¾from current bestsellers to health, political, spiritual, mystery, business, and history books. Readers can browse, sample different formats, and choose the format that is best for them. “New titles are being added weekly as the number of publishers partnering with ReadHowYouWant continues to grow,” reports Roth.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Humanware and ReadHowYouWant Free Chapter Downloads for November

     
 
(a larger text-only version is available at http://www.humanware.ca/web/en/newsletter/73-t.htm)
ReadHowYouWand

Free Chapter Download Program

November 2009 - 20 New Titles Available

November is all about feeling good! Thousands of titles are now available in DAISY and other accessible formats from ReadHowYouWant. 20 titles for adults, young adults, and children are featured in the November Free Chapter Download program in partnership with HumanWare. Grey weather getting you down? Is school stressing you out? Worried about a busy holiday season? Sample the first chapter of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook or What to Do When You’re Sad and Lonely for readers in grades 4 and up. Want to get lost in a good novel? Try Iron Ties or Another. Don’t be stuck feeling down—read a book! November’s Free Chapter Download Program is sure to cheer you up. View all 20 November titles at www.readhowyouwant.com/humanware. Or, link directly through the titles below.
Please tell your friends, colleagues and the members of your teams that this exciting promotion will be going on for the rest of the year, and encourage them to visit www.readhowyouwant.com/humanware for a list of current titles as titles change monthly.
The titles selected for the month of November are:
Adult Titles:
Rawsome! by Brigitte Mars (Basic Health Publications)
High Infatuation by Steph Davis (The Mountaineers Books)
The Art of Thank You by Connie Leas (Beyond Words)
Blue Truth by David Deida (Sounds True)
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Matthew McKay, and Patrick Fanning (New Harbinger Publications)
Iron Ties by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press)
The Age of Miracles by Marianne Williamson (Hay House)
Another by Joel Deane (Interactive Publications)
Clutter Busting by Brooks Palmer (New World Library)
Letters to a Young Therapist by Mary Pipher (Basic Books)
Children/Young Adult Titles:
How Do Airplanes Fly? by Zachary Williams (Rosen)
Global Cooling by David P. Reiter (Interactive Publications)
How to Stay Safe at Home and Online by Ira Wood (Rosen)
Pilgrim Foods and Recipes by Sarah Florence (Rosen)
What to Do When You’re Sad and Lonely by James J. Crist (Free Spirit Publishing)
Teens Take It To Court by Judge Tom Jacobs (Free Spirit Publications)
The Courage to Be Yourself by Al Desetta (Free Spirit Publishing)
Today’s Superstars Entertainment: Will Smith by Susan K. Mitchell (Weekly Reader)
Mega Structures: The Tallest Buildings by Susan K. Mitchell (Weekly Reader)
Energy for the Future and Global Warming: Biofuels by Andrew Solway (Weekly Reader)
HumanWare, the leader in assistive technologies for people with print disabilities, and digital publishing innovator, ReadHowYouWant, are partnering to help individuals with reading disabilities and visual impairments discover the book reading device and the format that suits them best. People around the world are able to participate in this program, as well as purchase books on RHYW's website, www.readhowyouwant.com.
About HumanWare
HumanWare (www.humanware.com) is the global leader in assistive technologies for the print disabled. HumanWare provides products to people who are blind and have low vision and students with learning disabilities. HumanWare offers a full range of low vision products including the SmartView Synergy desktop video magnifier, the SmartView Pocket and Nano handheld electronic magnifiers, and the myReader2, HumanWare's unique "auto-reader". HumanWare's other innovative products include the BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for the blind in education, business and for personal use; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading digital audiobook players, and the ClassMate Reader, the only portable book player to offer synchronized text and audio for individuals.
About ReadHowYouWant
ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris's sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company's goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice-at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit: www.readhowyouwant.com.

PLEXTALK and ReadHowYouWant Launch Monthly DAISY Book Giveaway



For Immediate Release
Contact:
Bradi Grebien-Samkow: bradi@readhowyouwant.com
971-340-9853
Contact:
Deana Valdez: dvaldez@shinano.com
310-693-7629
PLEXTALK® and ReadHowYouWant Launch Monthly Giveaway of Literary Classics in DAISY for Visually Impaired Readers


Sydney, Australia, November 2, 2009—PLEXTALK®, the producer of the PLEXTALK® Pocket and other digital talking book players, and digital accessible publishing innovator ReadHowYouWant are partnering to help visually impaired readers discover literary classics in a convenient format that works for them.
Beginning in November, each month readers will be able to go to the PLEXTALK® website, www.plextalk.com to download five free titles from ReadHowYouWant’s Classics collection. November’s selected Classics titles are The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum. Readers can also visit www.readhowyouwant.com/plextalk to download the free titles.
“We are very pleased to be able to partner with ReadHowYouWant,” said Deana Valdez, Sales and Marketing Manager for PLEXTALK® North America. “Through our PLEXTALK® Pocket partnership with ReadHowYouWant, we are able to offer even greater access to and increased mobility for reading thousands of books available for download from ReadHowYouWant’s extensive library.”
ReadHowYouWant will be demoing the PLEXTALK® Pocket DAISY reading device at book industry events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and Book Expo America. Similarly, PLEXTALK® will present DAISY files from ReadHowYouWant’s collection on their players at technology industry shows, including ATIA (Assistive Technologies Industry Association) conferences.
“We are delighted to be partnering with PLEXTALK®. The monthly giveaway program of ReadHowYouWant titles at the PLEXTALK® website furthers our mission to make more content accessible and easily available to all kinds of readers,” says Tricia Roth, CEO of ReadHowYouWant.
Readers looking for more great books can go to www.readhowyouwant.com/braille where they will find over 2,000 titles in the Classics Library in DAISY 2.02 and NISO/2005 formats, as well as synthesized audio MP3 books for $9.99 each. In addition, ReadHowYouWant offers thousands of classic and bestselling titles in downloadable ASCII and Visual braille book files for $4.99 and $9.99.
About Shinano Kenshi Co., Shinano Kenshi Corporation & PLEXTALK®
Shinano Kenshi Co. Ltd. is responsible for the development and manufacture of digital talking book players and other products sold under the brand name of PLEXTALK®. Shanano and PLEXTALK® assistive products are created to improve the quality of life, self-reliance and independence of their users. Shinano Kenshi Corporation is the North American subsidiary of Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd.
About ReadHowYouWant
ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris’s sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company’s goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice—at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit www.readhowyouwant.com.