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Hennepin County Library is committed to eliminating barriers that make it difficult for people with disabilities to use library services.
ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY LAB
Located on the first floor of Central Library, five workstations feature 21-inch monitors and scanners. Software available for users with vision loss includes JAWS, Open Book, Zoomtext Xtra, Kurzweil 3000 and Magic screen enlarger. The Adaptive Technology Lab also has devices for users with physical disabilities, including large keyboards, touchpads, trackballs and specialty mice.
Volunteer assistance is available weekly at the Adaptive Technology Lab.
| Wednesday: |
1pm – 3pm |
| Sunday: |
12:30pm – 2:30pm |
MAGIC AND JAWS
MAGic Pro is a magnification and speech program for low vision users. MAGic allows the user to magnify the screen up to16 times the original size and "talks" to the user, repeating commands and helping to navigate the screen.
JAWS for Windows is a screen reader. Designed for people who are blind, it allows users to access hyperlinks and content on a Web page.
MAGic and JAWS are available at all suburban Hennepin County Libraries and at the Central, East Lake and North Regional Libraries in Minneapolis.
OPEN BOOK
Open Book is Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software which allows a user to scan mail, books, articles, or printed microform to an application which reads it. Available at:
ELECTRONIC PRINT MAGNIFIER
Magnifies any print item (may be handwritten) up to 45-60 times its original size and projects it on a TV screen.
Available at:
MAGNIFYING GLASS
A hand-held magnifier enables people to enlarge and read print materials in the library. Available at the information desk at all libraries.
POCKETALKER II™
Personal microphone and headset system allows individual amplification for the headset wearer.
Available at the information desk at:
TELEVISION WITH TELECAPTION DECODER
Provides written captions of words as they are spoken on a television program that provides closed captioning (cc). Also accommodates closed captioned videos.
Available at:
All Hennepin County libraries, except St. Bonifacius, are accessible. Besides accessible restrooms, most buildings have automatic door openers.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM
Amplifies sound from a microphone through infrared system for person(s) wearing a headset. In Meeting Rooms at:
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER
Available for library programs by request. Contact the library hosting the event for more information.
If an item that you want is not available at your library, ask a librarian to help you reserve it and have it sent to the most convenient library. Large print books, closed-captioned videos and DVDs, and audio books are
available though the library. Also, downloadable audio and ebooks from NetLibrary and Overdrive are accessible.
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