RSLYA works hard to ensure that visitors with special needs — parents with babies and toddlers, people with disabilities, parents with disabled children — have access to all its resources.
The moment visitors come through the library’s doors, they find themselves in an environment where everything is fully automatic. This makes using the library easier and removes all potential difficulties connected with interaction with staff. Library users can look for books and check them out without assistance, and return borrowed materials whenever they wish, even when the library is closed. If they need to make photocopies, that can be done without assistance as well.
For visitors with disabilities or special needs assistive techonology is available in our library.
Visitors with mobility impairments
The library can be accessed via a wide wheelchair ramp with handrails, nonslippery surface and step for those who accompany the wheelchair user.
The main entrance is equipped with automatic sliding doors so that wheelchairs can get in effortlessly.
Extra wide aisles allow wheelchair users to move between shelves with ease; the shelves are low enough for a person in a wheelchair to reach all books. The desks are specially designed so that disabled visitors can use them to work with books and computers directly from their wheelchair.
The special toilet for disabled visitors has enough space to move around in a wheelchair; it is equipped with grab bars and other facilities.
We provide a special wheelchair with a laptop stand, for mobility impaired visitors.
A wheelchair stair climber allows visitors with disabilities to go up and down stairs in a wheelchair.
Visually impaired visitors
Visually impaired visitors can also read ordinary printed books in our library with the help of a reading machine that scans books and reads out text in Russian, English, and other languages.
An electronic magnifier enlarges text and images thus making books accessible to people with low vision.
Hearing impaired visitors
We have a large collection of films with subtitles, including documentaries.
Finding your way in the library is easy thanks to the clear signage on the walls and on the floor.
Young parents with disabled children
We offer a collection of books concerning disabled children’s needs, special education and functioning in society. E-books can be accessed from home.
Parents with babies and toddlers
We have a baby changing station and a room for breastfeeding.
Our Children’s Room has a collection of books, animated films and games which parents and children can enjoy together.
Young people who have difficulties with social interaction or family relationships
Our psychologist helps young people free of charge.
All visitors with disabilities and special needs
All visitors are respected in our library. Our staff know how to help people who are experiencing difficulties adapt and make the most of the library’s collections and services.
We are happy to provide information about special facilities for all categories of visitors.
We offer a collection of books, electronic materials and periodicals that cover issues facing disabled people, their rights and opportunities, education and employment.
We collaborate with educational institutions for people with disabilities in order to inform the community about the library’s facilities and services.
We offer educational programmes and workshops which take into account the visitors’ abilities and needs, e.g. a create-your-own-book workshop for mobility impaired students.
Our collections of electronic materials, which can be downloaded from home free of charge, allow maximum access to information.
