Home | Access and Services for people with 
Physical, Sensory and Learning Difficulties (Summary)
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Virtual access
Remote access, including through wireless networks, will open up all services to those people who do not have access to actual library buildings. The guidelines on digitisation and developments in integrated library systems have obvious applications for housebound library users, and the guideline on multimedia digital service delivery is particularly relevant. For example, housebound users could make use of online catalogues, online enquiry services such as “Ask a Librarian”, e-mail services to contact the library, and chat lines and videoconferencing to talk with library staff and with other people (e.g. in a reading group). E-books and e-serials ordered online and downloadable at home would be especially applicable. (See remote delivery.) Some of these methods could equally well be used to open up access to archives and museum services to housebound people.

Staff training
If public libraries are to remain competitive, creating of a culture of disability awareness will be vital. This responsibility lies with both the institutions engaged in initial librarian education programme as well as with the public libraries themselves. With a view to the increasing importance of computer technology, regular staff training on all (supportive) equipment should also be provided. If staff are unsure how to use it themselves, they may be unwilling to offer assistance to customers, and will be unlikely to promote it. (See Links.)

Other issues
Even in libraries where a lack of funding prevents any major structural or technical modifications, improvement is possible. An evaluation of current physical accessibility and suggestions for readily achievable improvements can be gained from associations for disabled persons, care centres or schools for disabled young people. The activities at Varna Regional Library and the public library in Colombia are excellent examples of a no-cost special service delivery in terms of intellectual access. A first step towards creating a culture of disability awareness at no cost would be made by following the DBB’s example of staff training´. (See Links)

The important thing is that those libraries which are physically accessible and sensitive to the needs of disabled people will also be more accessible and easy to use for everyone else

LINKS
Criteria for inclusion are the extent to which physical and intellectual access have been improved, the amount of staff training provided and the ability to transfer information and findings of the project to other libraries. Links have been provided where available.

Bulgaria 
Pazardzik District Library
In the context of a project aimed specifically at disabled people a 'Centre for Library and Information Services for Disabled' was set up in 1995, providing easy physical access, accessible catalogues, adapted workstations, talking books and free Internet connections. The nine librarians involved in access services took part in extra training. Since 1995, the number of disabled customers has increased six-fold!

Varna Regional Library 
Works closely with the National Centre for Social Rehabilitation and the Varna Centre for Disabled People in organising book deliveries, literature evenings and forums with poets and writers for people with a variety of impairments.
http://www.libvar.bg/

Czech Republic
Library without barriers 
for users as well as for the librarians was set up at the Public Library of Petr Bezruc with the aim of helping disabled customers to use the new services of the library, including access to the Internet and audio/video materials.
http://www.osi.hu/nlp/

Colombia
Lend us your eyes
A public library-initiated project which consists of 170 people who act as volunteer readers for visually impaired people. 

Denmark 
Ringsted Public Library
The Ringsted Library provides special areas for young, elderly and visually impaired people with computers and Internet access. An adapted workstation is available in the elderly people's area. The library also holds stocks of alternative materials. All staff have been trained in servicing the needs of disabled people as part of a project called 'Internet for All' run in 2001. 
http://www.ringstedbib.dk/

Estonia
Estonian Library for the Blind 
serves blind and visually impaired people throughout Estonia and, via interlibrary loan, also abroad. 
http://www.epr.ee/pimeleht.html#english

Central Library of Võru County (http://lib.werro.ee):

• has a lending point at the Estonian Chamber of Disabled People 
  (http://www.epikoda.ee/inglise.htm), opened on Thursdays from 12.00 till 17.00;
• has a long-term fruitful co-operation with the Information Association for the Blind “Helikiri”. The library has acquired audio books and radio shows on CDs, published by the association, that are also lent for home use;
• supports Võru Järve School, attended by disabled children of the county, and has organised joint library tours and presented books for them;
• co-operates with the Social Welfare Centre of Võru County in the field of education and social projects. A single parents society “Tulevik” meets once a month at the library, lead by the project manager of the centre Kersti Kõosaar.

Central Library of Lääne County 
has a lending point and a public Internet access point for disabled persons in Haapsalu Social House and a PIAP in Haapsalu Rehabilitation Centre (sponsored by the Look@World Project (http://www.vaatamaailma.ee). Blind and visually impaired persons are provided with audio books. 

The National Library of Estonia and the Ministry of Culture
have organised training courses for raising the quality of library services for disabled persons. 
http://www.nlib.ee/inglise/rr/irr02.html

France 
Bordeaux Public Library
The fully accessible 'Espace Didérot' consists of 4 reading cabins with page-turners, screen enlargers, scanners, special software, speech synthesis and individually adjustable lighting. Alternative format materials are also provided. Staff receive regular training, with one employee skilled in sign language. The Bordeaux library has taken up an advisory function for other public libraries in the country.
http://www.bordeaux-city.com/cbiblio.htm
http://www.bpi.fr/debats/handicap/stdenis.html

Greece 
University of Macedonia Library, Thessaloniki
Intellectual accessibility has been guaranteed by transcribing all study material into digital format and providing an adapted workstation (screen-reader, speech synthesiser, Braille display and printer, screen enlarger, scanner) as well as an accessible website. All employees took part in two awareness/sensitisation seminars and received training on the adaptive equipment. 
http://www.lib.uom.gr/english/index.html

Hungary 
Verseghy Ferenc County Library, Szolnok 
Since 1998, the library has obtained 1,000 audio books, a Braille catalogue, a Braille map of the library, Internet access and a text-to-speech computer. Training is organised for the librarians involved in access services, and the library employs a librarian skilled in sign language. Access points have been made accessible by wheelchair. The goal is to establish a Centre for Excellence Library in Szolnok. 
http://www.vfmk.hu/

Library Support Program and Improving Services for Handicapped Users
are projects sponsored by the Soros Foundation to create new services for the blind and handicapped users of several Hungarian libraries and to help them to meet the needs of handicapped users of library services through the purchase of necessary equipment and materials.

Latvia
Gulbene Library
Gulbene is a regional centre in eastern Latvia. Its library is not only a regional central library, but it is one of the few libraries in the country where there are particularly well developed electronic services for users and librarians alike, and on the ground floor, which houses the library’s information centre, public Internet access and the children’s library, there is easy access for people in wheelchairs and mothers with prams. The library also provides home delivery services for housebound people. http://www.gulbenesbiblioteka.lv

Bauska Central Library 
Several computers have been installed with permanent Internet connection and a user training campaign “Know! Study! Use!’’ is targeted at disabled people among others.
http://www.bauska.lv 

Moldova
In Focus Golden Age
is a traditional library service with a different approach. Its main goals are: to stimulate and integrate aged persons in the social and cultural life, to explore their experiences and intellectual potentials; attract aged persons in library services. http://www.osi.hu/nlp/Files to be added/Matching Funds2000.htm

Netherlands
Anders Lezen Punten (‘Another Way to Read’-corners)
The service at the public libraries in Eindhoven, Hellendoorn, Maastricht and Nijmegen consists of adapted reading materials (talking books, talking newspapers and magazines, reading aids, PC with speech synthesiser and screen enlarger). They are increasingly used by what is considered the general public, in particular dyslexic people, the elderly and those with chronic illness.
http://www.nlbb.nl/?t=anders_lezen&sub=3

Stadsbibliotheek Haarlem
Children with reading difficulties will soon be able to enjoy the ‘Makkelijk Lezen Plein’ (Easy Reading Area), a new project currently being set up.
http://www.hollandnet.nl/bibliotheek/haarlem/

Zeeuwse Bibliotheek
Has set up the department BEZIG (Bibliotheek voor Bejaarden, Zieken en Gehandicapten/Library for older, sick and disabled people) that focuses on services for those with disabilities and provides a range of alternative format materials.
http://www.zebi.nl/

Portugal 
National Library 
Offers the library catalogue and one magazine in Braille, print and on floppy disk free of charge.
http://www.bn.pt/

Spain
Cultural and Bibliographic Centre (ONCE)
This National Association for the Blind has a Network of 33 special libraries throughout Spain, which are in turn bibliographic centres. The fact that these libraries exist means that blind people rarely make use of public libraries, although some attempts have been made to work in collaboration.
http://www.once.es/home.htm

Local library “Juan Pablo Forner” of Merida
This local library has developed good practice strategies for disabled people, people with hearing and visual impairments, drug abusers and immigrants. See the paper published in the I Congreso Nacional de Bibliotecas, Valencia, 29,30 and 31, October, 2002, “La biblioteca municipal Juan Pablo Forner de Merida y sus colectivos específicos”.
http://www.mcu.es/lab/bibliote/travesia_actas/pdf/sumario.pdf
http://www.badajoz.org/bibliomerida/ficha.php

Sweden 
Open Media/Open Learning Project 
Put together by the Low Vision Clinic Gothenburg, the Employability Institute, Gothenburg City Library, 18 libraries and special equipment manufacturers, the project aims were creating jobs for occupationally disabled persons, opening up libraries for print-impaired people and increasing their percentage as customers. Adaptive equipment was installed in participating libraries and persons with a disability were recruited as Open Media Assistants. After the training, each library employed one Assistant and set up a reading desk for visually impaired persons. 
http://www.stadsbiblioteket.goteborg.se/avdelning6/openmedia2.html

Härnösand County Library 
Inspired by the National Library for the Handicapped Child in London, the Härnösand County Library created the Apple, a library for handicapped children. It offers books for the blind, adapted workstations and professional support for deaf, deaf-blind etc. 
http://www.sambiblioteket.bib.mh.se/

United Kingdom 
Essex County Library
Essex library service provides a postal cassette service and free access to audio books, videos and CDs for print-impaired people. It also involves visually impaired people in Booktalk activities. Short awareness sessions for library staff are held regularly. Access technology is currently being introduced in many libraries, accompanied by extensive staff training. 
Readers without walls, which enables housebound readers to access the catalogue on laptops in their own homes, is another service offered by Essex libraries.
which enables housebound readers to access the catalogue on laptops in their own homes, is another service offered by Essex libraries. 
http://www.nlbuk.org/bpm/chapter17.html#17.6
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaign/elderly.html
http://www.cilip.org.uk/groups/csg/si/egs_sxgroups.html

Manchester Libraries
The library provides text-to-speech equipment and 'VI units' (VI = visually impaired). A half-day Visually-Impaired-Persons staff training package is organised as a rolling programme to reach staff at all levels of the service.
http://www.nlbuk.org/bpm/chapter17.html#17.6

(Other examples of good practice in the UK are also described on this site, and on the sites under Essex County Library.)

Home | Access and Services for people with 
Physical, Sensory and Learning Difficulties (Summary)
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