SAPL AND THE SPECIAL NEEDS PATRON
The
San Antonio Public Library has made a strong effort to assist our users
who have various disabilities. Visual disabilities have been a major focus
as libraries by their very nature are very vision-oriented. Thanks to a
generous grant from the Semmes Foundation we have been able to purchase a
substantial amount of equipment and materials for use by individuals who
have a visual disability. We have attempted to make both our print and
electronic resources accessible to individuals who are either blind or who
have low vision.
 Materials-By-Mail
Materials are available through the mail for
homebound individuals. Call 207-2500 for this service.
Books On Tape and CD
A nice selection of both fiction and nonfiction
titles are available on the first floor at Central Library. Applications for the Texas State
Library Talking Book Program are kept at the second floor Reference Desk.
CCTV
Closed circuit televisions are available at all
locations of the San Antonio Public Library. This device allows material
to be greatly magnified onto a television monitor.
Computer Terminals for the Visually Impaired
Jaws, OpenBook and ZoomText software are
available on a workstation at six library locations. The JAWS and OpenBook
software can be used to allow a blind individual to access the Internet,
use MS Office products and with the use of a scanner listen to printed
material such as books or magazines. ZoomText software allows a user to
magnify the material on the computer screen up to 16 times its original
size. The locations that have these workstations are; Carver, Central,
Cortez, Great Northwest, Las Palmas and Oakwell. Central also has an
additional terminal with ZoomText on the second floor. The Electronic
Resources Lab also has a large screen terminal with ZoomText for low
vision students.
Closed Captioned Videos
Over half of the videos in our collection
have the closed captioned feature.
Descriptive
Videos
These tapes are the same as ordinary VHS recordings except
that they have an additional audio track which features a narrator subtly
describing the action that is taking place. This allows an individual with
a visual disability the opportunity to more fully enjoy the video
experience. To access these titles in CARL, the Library's online catalog,
you can either do a call number search, such as "video DVS," or enter the
keyword search, "video recordings visually handicapped."
Kurzweil Reading Machine
This device reads printed material to its user.
The reading voice is easy to understand and both reading speed and volume
can be controlled. It is located on the second floor in the Reference
Department at Central.
Large Print
Books
A large collection of both fiction and nonfiction
titles are available on the first floor in the Fiction Department at
Central and all locations have a separate large print section.
Braille
A small collection of Braille books is located
at Central. The adult titles are located on the first floor and the
juvenile titles are located on the third floor.
Magnifying Glasses
All locations have magnifying glasses for the
public to use while at the library.
Reference Materials
A wide variety of reference materials concerning
disabilities are available in the Reference Department on the second
floor at Central Library. Topics covered include: financial aid for students with
disabilities, ADA compliance and social services directories.
TDD
A TDD device is available in the Telephone
Reference Department that allows access to the library over the phone for
people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Library’s TDD phone number is
207-2534. Many branch libraries also have TDD’s that can be reached using
the branch’s main phone number.
Wheelchairs
Two wheelchairs are available for the public to
use while at Central. These are located behind the circulation desk on the
first floor.
World
Wide Web Disability Links
A listing of disabilities related Web sites is
available on the San Antonio Public Library homepage. The Disabilities
Resources WWW address is
http://www.sanantonio.gov/library/web/disabilities.asp.
Patrons needing help retrieving materials can get
assistance from any public service desk.
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To
help kick off the season, the Central Library is inviting San Antonio
families for their own tamalada.
Celebrations by Myra Livingston
Chicken Soup for the
Christian Family Soul: Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit
by Jack Canfield, et al.
