BEDFORD, Mass. – December 8, 2003

Kurzweil Educational Systems Honored for Excellence, Wins Industry Awards

Company Recognized for Product Distinction And Commitment to Supporting Students With Learning Disabilities

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc., innovator of reading, writing and learning technology for individuals with visual or learning disabilities, today announced it has been honored by the Learning Disabilities Association of Massachusetts (LDAM) and Technology and Learning magazine for outstanding achievement. The LDAM award recognizes Kurzweil Educational for its support of students with learning disabilities and awareness among local educational institutions, while Technology & Learning magazine selected Kurzweil 3000, the company’s flagship product, as one of the best K-12 product offerings in 2003. These recent industry awards further endorse the value of Kurzweil Educational as the premier innovator of solutions for teachers, students and parents dealing with learning disabilities. Kurzweil Educational has received seven awards for outstanding achievement in 2003.

“Kurzweil Educational has a strong legacy of helping people with disabilities increase their independence and lead more productive lives,” said Michael Sokol, President of Kurzweil Educational. “Our continuous technology innovations are driven by our mission to positively impact the lives of people with reading, writing and learning difficulties. We’re very appreciative of all the recognition for our efforts.”

Kurzweil Educational emerged as a winner after rigorous rounds of selection for both the awards. For the Technology and Learning award, 30 educator-judges rated products on their quality and effectiveness, ease of use, creative use of technology and suitability for the school environment. Each product underwent three rounds of judging by educators and the Technology & Learning editorial team. Kurzweil 3000 was pronounced winner under the Special Education Products category. Technology & Learning is a national publication for education technology leaders; it is the magazine that provides K-12 educators with essential resources for managing, teaching, and training with technology.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Massachusetts (LDAM) is a non-profit, volunteer organization made up of individuals with learning disabilities, their families, and professionals. After close and careful consideration, Executive Board members of LDAM selected six organizations and individuals who have been instrumental in consistently furthering the association’s mission of enhancing the quality of life for individuals with learning disabilities and their families, and to alleviating the restricting effects of learning disabilities. Kurzweil Educational received the award for outstanding commitment to raising awareness among educational institutions in the Boston and surrounding areas.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Massachusetts (LDAM) award is particularly significant because it highlights Kurzweil Educational’s tireless efforts in working directly with local schools and educators to make real changes in the lives of students with learning disabilities. A recent milestone was the approval of Kurzweil 3000 by the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) for use as an accommodation for students taking the state-level MCAS exam. Kurzweil Educational’s product is currently the only assistive technology accommodation that the DOE has approved for students with reading, writing and learning disabilities.

About Kurzweil 3000

Kurzweil 3000 is Kurzweil Educational’s flagship product for struggling readers and writers. It is widely recognized as the most comprehensive and integrated solution for addressing language and literacy difficulties including learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. Kurzweil 3000 uses a multi-sensory approach - presenting printed or electronic text on the computer screen with added visual and audible enhancements. The product incorporates a host of dynamic features including powerful decoding, study skills tools and test taking tools designed to adapt to each individual’s learning style and to minimize frustration for students, educators and adults.

About Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc.

Kurzweil Educational Systems, founded in 1996, is the industry leader and innovator of reading, writing and learning solutions for people with learning disabilities, and people who are blind or visually impaired. Ray Kurzweil, a co-founder of the original company, invented computer-based reading machine technology 25 years ago to provide access to printed text for the blind. With a pioneering history in developing assistive technology, the company has received worldwide recognition for enabling people with disabilities to lead more independent lives through improved reading and writing abilities. Kurzweil 3000, the company's flagship product for individuals with reading and writing disabilities, recently won a "District's Choice Top 100 Product" 2003 award published by the District Administration magazine, a "Media and Methods Awards Portfolio" 2003 award from Media and Methods magazine, and three eSchool News 2003 Readers’ Choice Awards for K-12 Instructional Software from eSchool News magazine. For more company or product information, visit www.kurzweiledu.com.

Contact

Collaborative Insight, Inc.

Hepzi Fonseca
617-357-7713
fonseca@collaborative.com

Collaborative Insight, Inc.

Julie Doucette
617-357-7789
doucette@collaborative.com