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The summer when I was 14, I got fired from my first volunteer job because, over time, the company managers learned that I was blind. The only thing I could do was to be more determined than ever to compete in the world of future employment alongside workers without disabilities. Today that’s exactly what I’m doing. The thing that makes my employment experience at Benetech so fulfilling is that I’m part of a vibrant, dedicated and brilliant team consisting of both disabled and nondisabled folks who truly believe in the work we do and who strive each day to make the world a little better than it was the day before. And, in the end, I think that’s what all of us–disabled or not–want from our jobs.

We’re in week #3 of the Skoll Foundation’s Social Entrepreneurs Charity Challenge on CrowdRise and we just found out about this week’s Bonus Challenge. We really need your help because it’s all about speed. Starting now, if we’re one of the first 40 organizations to raise at least $1,000, we’ll automatically get a $1,000 match for our cause. To help us be one of the “first 40” to receive this week’s Bonus Challenge #3, all you need to do is go to our Challenge page on CrowdRise—Bookshare for Veterans—and give what you can.

Ever wonder how new features come into being within Benetech’s suite of products? Let’s take a short, virtual trip into the world of software product development at Benetech. I’m Ginny Grant, one of the Product Managers in Benetech’s Global Literacy Program. I’d like to focus here on some of the critical final steps in our product development process. These include passing tests that our professional Quality Assurance (QA) team performs as well as passing our “alpha testing sessions,” which we sometimes refer to as “Bugfests”!

My name is Liz Halperin and I contract for Benetech, working as a Collection Development Associate with Bookshare. I also happen to be Deaf-Blind with added orthopedic disabilities and serve as the Deaf-Blind contact person for Bookshare. I was asked to contribute this post to kick off a blog mini-series marking Benetech’s observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Each year, National Disability Employment Awareness Month has a theme, and the one this year is “Because We Are EQUAL to the Task.” This theme, I believe, doesn’t stretch far enough. That’s because, by being who we are, we add to the workforce much more than the sum of our individual tasks.

Wondering how you can make a real difference in the life of a veteran? Join us in week 2 of our Bookshare for Veterans crowdfunding campaign on CrowdRise! We’re on a mission to improve the quality of life for US veterans with print disabilities by giving them the gift of reading through Bookshare. In addition to one of the grand Challenge prizes worth up to $50,000, we’re also trying to win the weekly Bonus Challenge cash prizes. If you aren’t already a Challenge team member, just go to our campaign page, click “Fundraise for this Campaign” and follow the steps to get started.