Library Services for People With Disabilities

Memorial Hall Library is committed to making library services accessible to all our users. Presently the library has these materials and services in place to make the library more accessible. Questions? Call 978-623-8401 x31 or email us.

If you need more time than our standard three week loan period for books, be sure to ask at the Circulation Desk about getting an extended loan.

For people with visual impairments:

Large print books, both fiction and nonfiction
Audiobooks
Optelec text enlarging machine (located on the library's ground floor)
Hand held magnifier at the Reference Desk
Local access to the Talking Book Program

For people with hearing impairments:

TTY/TDD telephone reference: 978-623-8405
Assistive listening device (sound amplification system) -- in Memorial Hall
LOUD-R Voice Amplifier at the Reference Desk
DVD and videotape films with English subtitles
Closed caption DVDs and videotapes

For people with limited mobility:

Ramp at the rear library entrance
Automatic door openers at the rear entrance
Designated handicapped parking spaces in the rear and side parking lots
Wheelchair accessible reference and circulation desks
Elevator to all floors of the library
Handicapped accessible restrooms on the Lower Level
Aisles wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs
Sit down catalog terminal that accommodates wheelchairs

Other Assistive Services:

Home delivery for homebound individuals: volunteers select and deliver library materials to Andover residents who have difficulty coming to the library because of age, illness, or temporary or permanent disability. For more information contact Gerry Deyermond 978-623-8401 x35 or email gdeyermond@mhl.org
Information and referral: the library maintains a community information database of local agencies and services of interest to persons with disabilities
Telephone reference services: librarians answer questions in person, by telephone, by fax, and by email whenever the library is open
Online "chat" reference service is now available 24/7
Catalog assistance: reference librarians will check the online catalog, check the shelves, place reserves and interlibrary loans, and hold materials for individuals whenever the library is open
The staff will retrieve any materials anywhere in the building for any patron who for any reason finds it difficult to do so
Kurzweil 3000 Software: Kurzweil 3000 is a scanning and reading assistance software program for individuals with literacy difficulties such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. The program can be used on any of the public computers in the Information Services area. Please ask a Reference Librarian for assistance. For detailed features and technical information, please visit Kurzweil Educational Systems' web site.

Books and Magazine on Disabilities:

Reference books on services to people with disabilities
Circulating books, videos, and audiobooks on topics of interest to people with disabilities, including personal narratives, architectural adaptations, medical issues, social services, adaptive technology, etc.
Magazines on disability topics, including Accent on Living, New Mobility, Paraplegia News, and Sports 'n Spokes

Web Sites on Disabilities:

Disability Exchange Sponsored by Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston; central resource for disability related information, services, and products
Massachusetts Office on Disability. State agency that advances legal rights, supportive services, accommodations and accessibility for citizens with disabilities.
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. Help for individuals with disabilities on topics such as housing, employment, and transportation.
Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown MA. Information and services for people who are blind, deafblind or with multiple disabilities. Includes Talking Book library service affiliated with the Library of Congress.
Disability Law Center. Protection and advocacy agency for residents of Massachusetts.
Andover Commission on Disability Addresses Andover's disability needs for the town and its residents, visitors, and families with disabilities.
Information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Disability-related information and programs available from the federal government on subjects such as civil rights, education, employment, housing, health, technology, and transportation.
Customizing Microsoft products How to customize Microsoft products for various types of disabilities; includes features built into Microsoft products and software that can be purchased.

Last updated: August 30, 2007
URL: http://www.mhl.org/about/disabilities.htm