Adapting your library
The joy of creating a brand new library building is a fairly rare occurrence. When it happens, there is the opportunity to work with architects and designers to ensure that the needs of sight impaired people are addressed as an integral part of the project.
In most cases, we are dealing with existing buildings and limited budgets. Where refurbishments or refits are taking place it is possible to include the needs of sight impaired people in the project brief. Where there is scheduled maintenance, for example the replacement of light fittings, there is an opportunity to think about how this could lead to an enhancement for people with sight loss. In some cases the service may be responding to the needs expressed by an individual user where a fairly minor adjustment would make all the difference to their experience of the library.
No one imagines that the world can change overnight. Some progress is pragmatic and opportunistic - it’s still progress! Please use the Forum to tell us about any improvements you have been able to make in your buildings, especially where they have been small scale and low budget so that we can all see what is realistic for everyone to achieve.
- Date: May 2009
