This is a thrilling time to be in the technology-for-good business. The speed at which consumer and mobile technologies are evolving opens up so many opportunities to make greater social impact that touches more people faster. Our team has been thinking hard about Benetech’s next phase of growth and how we can best seize the tremendous opportunities available to us today to build a better tomorrow for all. My special passion recently has been thinking about using data for greater impact: watch for thought pieces from me on this topic in the coming months. I am delighted to share some of our latest news and exciting developments in our core programs.
The Benetech Human Rights team is always seeking new opportunities to connect with grassroots human rights activists and share experiences and lessons learned to help strengthen and defend freedom of expression around the world. We were therefore delighted to host the 2015 cohort of The Internet Freedom Fellows program at our Palo Alto offices earlier this month.
We are seeking visionary leaders to join Benetech in applying technology to advance the rights of disadvantaged people around the world. Technology is playing an ever larger role in increasing respect for human rights and delivering better services, and we have two rare opportunities to lead world-class tech-for-good programs. Benetech is hiring new Vice Presidents for our Global Literacy and Human Rights programs.
The Skoll Foundation and the United Nations Foundation awarded Benetech a grant to bring written content to millions of people with visual impairments in India. This new grant will enable Benetech to scale up our Bookshare library services in India, where people with visual impairments face a severe dearth of accessible books in formats they can read. It supports a partnership between Benetech and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to expand production and delivery of books in accessible formats in local Indian languages.
Rapid changes in the fields of consumer technology, education, and publishing make it possible to address the needs of the millions of people who face barriers of access to information. This includes individuals with print disabilities, such as those affected by learning differences, like dyslexia, or people with physical or visual disabilities. On the official blog of Disability.gov, Benetech President Betsy Beaumon writes about our Global Literacy Program and how it creates new and better opportunities for people with disabilities.
