What is a print disability?
A print disability is a difficulty or inability to read a traditional printed book due to vision, mobility, and comprehension disabilities. People of all ages and all walks of life can have print disabilities and need accessible books to read. Some examples of print disabilities include:
- Cognitive or comprehension disability, such as: a brain injury including stroke and dementia, or a learning disability such as ADHD or Dyslexia.
- Physical or mobility disability, such as: arthritis or cerebral palsy etc, or even a temporary disability like a broken arm.
- Visual disability such as: low vision, colour-blindess, or blindness.
- Simply put, a print disability is a learning, physical or visual disability that prevents a person from reading conventional print.
The Library now has several services for patrons who self-identify as having a print disability.
We offer access to:
- CELA (The Centre for Equitable Library Access)
- NNELS (The National Network of Equitable Library Service)
- Victor Readers: (special CD players that play DAISY and MP3 books and music on CDs, SD cards, and USB flash drives)
- DAISY Audiobook CDs
The National Network of Equitable Library Service
The National Network for Equitable Library Service also known as NNELS, provides services and collections to users throughout Canada. NNELS’ collection is owned and sustained by Canadian public libraries. NNELS also works with International partners, libraries, readers, and publishers (particularly Canadian ones) to make books in accessible formats available to anyone in Canada who has a print disability. For more information about the service and how you can get books, visit the NNELS website.
Centre for Equitable Library Access
The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), is a national not-for-profit organization that provides accessible reading services Canadians with print disabilities. Patrons can self-register, or library staff can help you with the registration process (see below on thispage for Library Staff Notes). Patron must also have an active library card. CELA Provides audiobook, ebook and e-Braille downloads, and/or physical CDs to patrons who identify themselves as having a print disability. Delivery options include several download options as well as CD and braille delivery direct to home or library.
Library Staff Information
Information for libraries is found at the Library Staff Homepage of the nnels.ca site.
Steps for registering a patron
- A patron will self-identify as having a print disability, or, provides care for someone with a print disability.
- Change the patron’s Main (Profile) Permission Group (in Sitka’s Evergreen) to: PL Print Disabled. This change will allow the NNELS repository to be available for the patron’s use.
Library assistance for NNELS patrons
- NNELS makes the electronic files available, and librarians can burn CDs with NNELS audiobook titles.
- NNELS also has a print-braille collection of hard copy titles that are available in host libraries, and can be interlibrary loaned.
About NNELS and CELA
NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) and CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) are national organizations that provide alternate format materials through public libraries. In Canada, both CELA and NNELS (among other alternate-format producers) are allowed to produce alternate formats without rights holder permission through an exception in the Copyright Act (1985, s. 32), which allows for non-profit organizations to make a more accessible format for people with print disabilities.
CELA offers access to large collections, such as Bookshare, and titles from the National Library Service in the U.S. CELA will also burn CDs for libraries, and will send hard copy braille materials directly to users.
NNELS makes electronic files available and library staff can burn CDs with their MP3 and DAISY titles; NNELS has a print-braille collection of hard copy titles that are available in host libraries, and can be interlibrary loaned. NNELS also produces accessible titles requested by its patrons!