Disabled users
We work closely with organisations for disabled people and
specific user groups to ensure our services are accessible to
all.
People with a physical disability
Improvements have been made to many of our buildings to give
better access for disabled people, and more are being planned. We
also provide services for homebound
users.
People who are deaf or hearing impaired
Induction loops are fitted in a number of libraries and archives
centres to help hearing-aid users. Most are provided at enquiry
desks, but some library galleries also provide a looped room.
People who are blind or partially sighted
Large print books are
available in all static and mobile libraries. Many also have audio
books and the loan charge is waived for blind and partially sighted
people.
A free
postal service (PDF, 259k) of spoken word cassettes and CDs is
available to blind and partially sighted adults and young people.
Applicants will be accepted on receipt of a recommendation from the
Kent Association for the Blind (KAB) or a letter from a doctor or
ophthalmologist. You may borrow up to 4 books at a time for 2
months.
Basic information about joining a Kent library is available at all
libraries in large print and Braille. Other Libraries and
Archives information can be made available as large print,
Braille audio or computer files on request.
For more details call Open Access on 01622 605243 or email
openaccess@kent.gov.uk.
People with learning disabilities
A selection of books for adults with learning disabilities can
be found in the main town centre libraries. Collections
include:
- Books Beyond Words - a series of picture books for people who
prefer pictures to words, making it easier for them to understand
difficult topics such as illness, death and bullying, and
- Bag Books - multi-sensory stories for people with profound
learning disabilities which are available across the county.
Our
'Best Practice Guide: Services for Adults with Learning
Disabilities' (PDF, 656k) document has further details on
our services and how we are developing them.
Public Computers
All our public computers now have AbilityNet software which
includes the following facilities:
- a virtual magnifying glass
- Vu Bar helps individuals who find it difficult to read large
amounts of text and would benefit from reading one line at a
time
- RapidSet benefits individuals who prefer to use an alternative
font and background colour to the Windows default
- DSpeech (portable text-to-speech and text-to-MP3 converter) for
individuals who find it helpful to listen to text
- Power Reader helps individuals who have poor literacy skills or
slow reading speeds
- Sonar provides an expanded ring around the mouse pointer for
users who have difficulty locating the pointer.
For further details about the any of the above, please ask at
your
local library.
