Bookshare Accessible Reading Manual

First-time learner: how to follow a task

Read the task title and its starting location before pressing anything. A keyboard command acts on the active application and focused control. Merely having these instructions visible does not make the other application active.

1. Keep these instructions available. Open the application separately. On Windows, hold Alt, tap Tab to choose its window, and release Alt. Check the window title before continuing.
2. Focus is the place receiving your next keystroke. A screen reader announces its name and role; a visible border or highlight may mark it. Tab selects the next keyboard-accessible control. Shift+Tab reverses that movement. Neither command means “activate.”
3. At a button or link, press Enter to activate. A checkbox is an on/off choice: Space changes it. Listen for checked or not checked. In an open menu, use arrows to select an item, then Enter. Escape usually closes that menu; it does not universally return to the previous page.
4. At a text field, enter only the requested information. Ctrl+A selects all text in that field; typing then replaces it. Confirm focus before doing this. Use Left and Right to review a small correction, or Backspace to remove the character before the cursor.
5. After opening a dialog, listen to its title, read its instructions, and Tab through its controls. Use Cancel if you are unsure. Do not repeatedly activate a button while a page or file is loading.
6. At the result checkpoint, stop. Say what changed. If the result is different, use that task’s recovery paragraph before attempting the next task.

With a screen reader, arrow-key reading and text editing can use different modes. If letters become navigation commands instead of text, confirm you reached an editable field and consult your reader’s forms/focus-mode instructions in the Screen Readers manual. Do not turn the reader off to solve an unidentified focus problem.

When a task says to locate a named control, start with Tab or Shift+Tab and listen to each complete label and role. Tab skips ordinary paragraphs. If the page itself needs to be read, use your screen reader’s reading commands. If you pass the same controls twice without finding the requested one, stop and check the application, page, account, and open dialogs. A fixed number of Tab presses is unreliable because layouts change.

Recording progress: Write down the task, your starting location, the result, and one step to practice again. These activities are optional and repeatable; they are not a sequence of locked lessons.

Before you begin

Choose one practice task at a time. Have your usual accessibility tools running and a way to record which steps helped. Use a familiar, non-sensitive document or book for the first exercise.

Keyboard directions

A plus sign means hold the first key while tapping the final key, then release both. For three-key combinations, hold both modifiers while tapping the last key. Do not type the plus sign. “Then” means release the first command before pressing the next key.

Tab moves forward through controls; Shift+Tab moves backward. Enter activates a focused link or button; Space commonly operates buttons and checkboxes. Arrow keys move within menus and lists. Pause after each step to check where focus went. For screen-reader reading and interaction modes, see the Screen Readers manual. Phone gestures are covered in the iPhone and iPad VoiceOver and Android TalkBack manuals.

Reading-service terms explained

Membership and sign-in

Membership determines access. Signing in proves which account is using the service. Installing an app by itself does not establish membership.

Catalog and bookshelf

The catalog is the collection you can search. Your bookshelf or reading list is a smaller set selected for your use. A title in a list is not necessarily downloaded to your device.

Edition and format

An edition is a particular published version. A format is how the content is delivered. Match the assigned title, author, and edition before relying on its page numbering.

Playback position, bookmark, and note

Playback position is where reading currently is. A bookmark marks a place to revisit. A note records your own words. Stopping at a passage does not automatically create a meaningful study note.

Download and synchronization

A download stores content on one device. Synchronization exchanges supported account information while connected. Neither guarantees that a second device has the full book stored for offline use.

Keep a simple reading record: book title, edition, chapter or page, device, and one sentence about where to resume. It gives you a way to recover even when an app does not reopen at the expected position.

1. Prepare the correct membership

What you will learn: Separate individual reading access from organizational administration.

Exactly how to do it

1. If a school or organization already provides your access, ask for its member sign-in instructions before making another account.
2. For a new individual membership, open Bookshare’s Sign Up page and choose the individual route. Complete the required information.
3. Follow the confirmation and proof-of-disability process. Review the current membership terms and any applicable fee or assistance before activation.

What should happen: You know which account to use and whether its access is ready.

If that does not happen: A created account is not necessarily an activated membership. Check the outstanding requirements before troubleshooting the reader.

Practice: Write down the account route and next required step, but do not put your password or disability paperwork in a practice worksheet.

Source: Bookshare membership setup.

2. Search for the correct book and edition

Start here: Bookshare in a browser. Have the title and author, and an ISBN if your assignment specifies one.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Tab to the site’s book-search field. Enter a distinctive title or author and activate Search. An ISBN can help identify a particular edition.
2. Read the results heading and count. Move through the results using links or your screen reader’s page-reading commands, rather than assuming the first result is correct.
3. Open a likely result and review its title, author, description, and available publication information. Compare those details with the assignment.
4. If the edition is wrong, return to the results or perform a narrower search. Record the correct title before opening the reader.
5. If you are exploring rather than seeking an assignment, use the site’s browsing categories or Explore options. Treat recommendations as choices, not as required lesson order.

Check your result

You can explain why the selected book matches your reading goal.

If something goes wrong

If there are no matches, check spelling and try fewer distinctive words. A book with the same short title may be by a different author. If required edition information is unclear, ask the instructor before starting page-specific work.

Try it yourself

Find one title by author and another by a distinctive title phrase. Verify each author before reading.

Documentation: Bookshare searching and exploring.

3. Open, play, and navigate Bookshare Reader on the web

Start here: A book’s details page in your signed-in browser account, or a book assigned in your reading list.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Locate Read Now and activate it. Wait for the reader to open. Read the book title and identify the player controls before starting audio.
2. Use Tab to locate Play and activate it. Listen to a short passage. Return to the player’s pause or stop control before exploring other settings.
3. Open Book Navigation to inspect the chapter list. Select the intended chapter, return to the text, and verify its heading or opening words.
4. Open Settings and inspect its audio and display choices. Change one preference at a time and compare the same paragraph after each change.
5. If the player voice and your screen reader compete, pause book playback while you navigate controls. Start it again after you have returned to the reading location.
6. Before leaving, record a chapter or page reference and create a bookmark if needed. Reopen the book to check your return location instead of assuming it.

Check your result

You can read a passage, stop playback, and intentionally choose a chapter.

If something goes wrong

If audio does not begin, first confirm the book has opened and the player is active. Then check device volume and audio output. An account-access error needs account support, not a volume adjustment.

Try it yourself

Read one paragraph, stop, navigate to another chapter, then return to the original passage.

Documentation: Bookshare Reader web workflow.

4. Find assigned reading and mark your place

What you will learn: Return to a useful passage.

Exactly how to do it

1. With organizational member access, check Assigned Books or Reading Lists for the material provided to you.
2. Open the book with Read Now. Locate the assigned chapter using Book Navigation.
3. Create a bookmark at a passage you want to revisit, then practice returning to it.

What should happen: You can distinguish the assignment location from your position inside the book.

If that does not happen: If a title is missing, confirm which member account received it. Ask the assigning instructor to check the assignment rather than sharing account credentials.

Practice: Choose a passage, record a short description, and use your bookmark to return to it.

Source: Assignments and bookmarks.

5. Choose a reading device

What you will learn: Match the reading tool to your access needs.

Exactly how to do it

1. Review Bookshare’s supported reading tools. Bookshare Reader is available for browsers, iOS, Android, and Alexa; partner tools provide other options.
2. Choose one tool and sign in through its documented Bookshare connection.
3. Try a short book on that device before depending on it for a long assignment.

What should happen: You have a workable reading method for your device.

If that does not happen: Do not assume all tools use identical controls or support every format. Check the selected tool’s instructions.

Practice: Compare listening, enlarged text, or braille according to your needs. Explain which method you would choose for leisure versus study.

Source: Supported reading tools.

6. Build a recovery routine

What you will learn: Describe an access problem clearly.

Exactly how to do it

1. Separate sign-in trouble, missing book access, navigation trouble, and missing sound.
2. Write down the book title, device, reading tool, and exact error. Do not include passwords.
3. Use the Bookshare Help and Learning Center for that specific problem. For an organizational account, involve the instructor who manages access.

What should happen: Your support request describes something another person can investigate.

If that does not happen: Avoid deleting a book, reinstalling the app, or creating duplicate accounts before identifying the problem.

Practice: Pretend a book opens but has no sound. List what you would check before concluding that the book is unavailable.

Source: Bookshare help.

Sign in and check whether your account can read

Start here: A browser at Bookshare, with the account information supplied to you. If a school manages access, use its instructions first.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Locate the sign-in control with Tab and activate it. Read the form’s field labels. Enter the account email or member username required by your route, then the password in its password field.
2. Activate the form’s sign-in button once and wait. Check for an account page or a clear error before retrying.
3. If the school supplied organizational membership, check for assigned books or reading lists. An adult’s administrative account and a learner’s reading account are not interchangeable.
4. For new individual membership, follow the official sign-up process, including requested eligibility verification and any applicable membership requirement. A confirmation email alone may not mean all access steps are complete.
5. Open a book you are authorized to read and check whether Read Now is available. If access is restricted, note the displayed explanation and resolve account access before troubleshooting the player.
6. On a shared device, finish using the account’s sign-out control. Closing a tab is not the same as signing out.

Check your result

You can identify the reading account and whether it has active access to a book.

If something goes wrong

Use the site’s account-recovery process for forgotten credentials. If a school manages the account, ask its authorized staff which sign-in route to use rather than creating a duplicate account.

Try it yourself

Explain the difference between installing a reader, signing in, and having an active reading membership.

Documentation: Bookshare membership setup · Web reading access.

Bookshare Reader web shortcuts and study notes

These shortcuts are for Bookshare Reader on the website, with the reader active. They are not phone gestures or universal commands for partner reading apps.

On Mac, substitute Control+Option for Alt. JAWS may require its pass-through command, JAWS key+3, before a reader shortcut.

Create and retrieve a note

1. At the passage, activate Note or the note shortcut.
2. In Add Note, type your comment and choose Save; Cancel discards it.
3. Open Book Navigation, then Bookmarks & Notes, to revisit it. An edited note needs Save again; Delete removes it.

Source: Bookshare web notes and shortcuts.

Practice with a useful study note

Choose a short passage and record its location on paper or in your ordinary notes app before trying the reader’s note feature. Write one original question about that passage, save it in the reader, leave the passage, and use the saved item to return. Check that both the question and the location are correct. If a shortcut performs a browser or screen-reader action, stop and use the labeled player control instead. Confirm the active window and focused area before trying the shortcut again.

Use Bookshare Reader on a phone or tablet

Start here: An active membership, a connection, and the official Bookshare Reader app for your platform. See the separate gesture instructions below.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Use Bookshare’s official reading-tools guidance to locate the appropriate app. In the app store, confirm the Bookshare Reader name and Benetech developer before installing. Open the app and sign in to the reading account.
2. Explore the app’s labeled tabs and identify your books or reading lists. Select the intended title. Verify the title and author before choosing a reading or download action.
3. On the documented iPhone app, selecting a book opens More Information, where Read Now and download choices are available. Other versions and Android may arrange those controls differently: use their spoken labels.
4. Open the book and locate playback controls. Start a brief passage, then pause before opening settings. Change a single reading preference and return to the same passage to compare.
5. For offline reading, complete the download on this device while connected. Check the download’s status and open the book before leaving your connection.
6. To continue on a second device, sign in to the same account and open the same book while connected. Verify the returned passage. Download separately on that device if you need offline access there.

Check your result

You can identify the book, operate playback, and distinguish account progress from a downloaded local copy.

If something goes wrong

If a listed book will not play offline, reconnect and inspect its download status. Do not remove the app as a first troubleshooting step: you may remove local downloads or unsynchronized work.

Try it yourself

Download a short authorized book, record a passage, and test that book on the same device without a connection when it is convenient to do so.

Documentation: Supported Bookshare reading tools · Official iPhone app and release details · Official Android app.

iPhone and Android: focus, activate, and enter text

iPhone or iPad with VoiceOver

Swipe right with one finger to the next item; swipe left to the previous item. A one-finger double-tap activates the selected item. At a text field, select it and double-tap to edit. With standard typing, select a keyboard key then double-tap; touch typing instead enters the selected key when you lift your finger.

Android with TalkBack

Swipe right or left with one finger to move focus. Double-tap to activate. Use two fingers to scroll. Keyboard entry depends on the keyboard and typing settings; on Gboard, locate a key by touch and lift to enter it.

Use this routine with the reading app

1. Before activating anything, hear its full label. The book title, a download control, and the Play control perform different actions.
2. Activate once, wait, and identify the new screen. An app can open an account page or download details rather than immediately playing.
3. During book narration, pause the player before exploring unfamiliar controls so their labels are easier to hear.
4. If the expected item is missing, check whether a dialog, keyboard, or menu is still open. Follow the device’s Back or dismissal behavior and identify where you land.

If VoiceOver or TalkBack is off, ordinary touch interaction applies: tap the labeled control to activate it. These touch directions do not define external-keyboard shortcuts. Customized gestures may differ; use your device’s screen-reader help if the standard gesture does something else.

Documentation: Apple VoiceOver operation, VoiceOver typing, TalkBack gestures, and TalkBack typing. Continue with the full VoiceOver manual or TalkBack manual for device-level practice.

Check offline readiness and recover a missing passage

Start here: The installed reading app on the exact device you will use away from the internet. Browser access alone is not proof of offline readiness.

Step-by-step instructions

1. While connected, select the intended book and complete the app’s download procedure. Check the status until it indicates completion; a title appearing on a shelf is not sufficient.
2. Open the downloaded book and read a short passage. Note its title, edition, chapter, and page or section.
3. At a convenient time when disconnecting will not interrupt another task, temporarily disconnect that device and test the same book. Confirm that you can start playback and navigate to a second passage.
4. Reconnect afterward. If offline playback failed, check storage, download status, and app-specific help while connected. Do not erase other people’s files to free space.
5. When continuing elsewhere, open the same account and book edition, then compare the current passage with your written location. Use navigation or a bookmark to recover if needed.
6. Before removing downloads or reinstalling an app, check whether important notes and progress are synchronized or recorded elsewhere.

Check your result

You know whether this book on this device works offline and have a way to regain your place.

If something goes wrong

Report the device, app/version, title, connection state, exact message, and last successful action. Keep passwords and private account information out of support screenshots.

Try it yourself

Demonstrate offline reading for one downloaded title, reconnect, and return to your recorded passage.

Documentation: Official reading-app guidance.

Keyboard and control reference

These are navigation routines, not universal Bookshare single-key shortcuts. Confirm the focused control and pause narration while exploring.

Source: Reader controls.

Independent practice

Choose any activity; there is no required order or passing score.

1. Identify your membership route and whether access is active.
2. Find a book by title and verify the author.
3. Find a chapter and summarize one paragraph.
4. Return to a marked passage.
5. Explain how a sign-in problem differs from a playback problem.

After each task, record whether you completed it independently, needed a prompt, or want another attempt. Repeat the difficult step instead of restarting everything.

Related learning

For braille-device reading, continue with the Brailliant BI X or Victor Reader Stream 3 manual. Compare the Learning Ally manual.

This manual now has ten dedicated lessons, a final quiz, and a printable course-completion certificate. Lesson completion is self-reported.

Practice this topic in Mission Control

Choose Command Practice or choose Topic Missions, then select Bookshare. These are simulated exercises; they do not operate the actual app or account.

Topic Missions presents a troubleshooting problem. Command Practice explains and checks one keyboard action at a time. Use Settings to choose speech and sound feedback. Escape returns to the topic list during a session.

When a simulator prompt says protected practice, release the modifier before the final key as instructed. In the real application, use the held keyboard combination in this manual. Completing a simulation does not confirm that the real application received or performed a command.