New reads part of improvements to Library accessibility
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Liverpool City Library is now home to a dedicated accessible collection, with more than 300 items available for loan for people who have reading difficulties or for those who need guidance on how to navigate living with disability.
“Inclusivity is a priority for Liverpool City Council,” Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller said.
“Regardless of one’s ability, age, gender or cultural background, all are welcome members of our fantastically diverse community and I’m proud that our libraries continue to serve as a safe and welcoming space.
“This new collection is the latest milestone in a range of planned improvements to make our libraries more accessible and inclusive for everyone.”
Around two-thirds of the new collection at Liverpool City Library are books in easy-to-read fonts for children, teens and adults with dyslexia or vision impairment. The remaining titles are about living with and managing a disability, including dyslexia and vision impairment, deafness, ADD & ADHD, autism and Asperger’s.
A further 60 books are on order for the new collection, adding to the e-books, audio books and large-print books that have been available in the library’s collection for a number of years.
“Further to our new accessible collection, Liverpool City Library will soon have a dedicated space for people with disability to use,” Mayor Waller said.
“It will be fitted out with desks which are automatically height adjustable to accommodate people in wheelchairs, while new computer software and other technology will help improve computer use for people with reading and hearing difficulties.
“We will also install adjustable height self-check-in desks to allow people in wheelchairs to borrow library resources independently.”
At the last Census, 6.2 per cent of people in Liverpool reported needing help in their day-to-day lives due to disability.
“The work we are doing at Liverpool City Library will make the lives of people with disability much easier, ensuring they can access useful resources and library facilities with greater independence,” Mayor Waller said.
People who are unable to visit Liverpool City Library to access the new collection can request that items be transferred to their local branch or have them delivered to their home for free.