Assistive Technology Lab

Located on the first floor of Minneapolis Central Library, the lab has five workstations which feature 21-inch monitors and scanners. Software available for users with vision loss includes JAWS, Open Book, Talking Typer, and MAGic screen enlarger.

The Assistive Technology Lab also has devices for users with physical limitations, including large keyboards, touchpads, trackballs, specialty mice, Dragon Naturally Speaking, and Kurzweil 3000, which is an assistive technology for cognitive disabilities.

Z-phone

A Z-phone that uses video relay service is available in the Assistive Technology Lab for library customers who use ASL (American Sign Language) to use to make calls within the library or outside the building. The phone is available when the library is open and can be requested at the Fiction/Media Desk. The video relay service uses VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) and a high quality video camera with certified interpreters and is provided at no cost to qualified people through Federal Communication Commission funding.

Software

MAGic Pro is a magnification and speech program for low vision users. MAGic can magnify the screen up to 16 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 webpage.

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.