Buildings & equipment
The library environment - buildings, layout and design - are important aspects of the visitor experience. Library services are working hard to improve old buildings and design new ones that have high impact and project the image of a contemporary service. Good design is accessible design; ensuring that the physical environment is accessible and inclusive for disabled people does not require us to compromise design values. Indeed some of the things that would enhance the experience for people with sight loss, for example the removal of obstacles such as waste bins and piles of books, make libraries better places for everyone!
The need for compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) has tended to focus on the need to remove physical barriers to buildings. These adjustments are often helpful to people with sight loss as well as wheelchair users. Other aspects of the building, especially clear routes through the spaces and lighting levels, are also vitally important for making it easy for making? visits to the library for sight impaired people safe and enjoyable.
Provision of computers is now the norm for libraries. There are now many ways to ensure that both hardware and software is accessible for sight impaired users.
This section of Reading Sight is aimed at providing practical guidance on making buildings and equipment accessible so that libraries can be a joy to use for sight impaired people.
