Disability Resources -The Library-University of California, Berkeley

Photograph: Student reading, South/Southeast Asia Library

Disability Resources

The Library at UC Berkeley provides special assistance to users with mobility and learning disabilities to facilitate their use of the Library and collections. If you have a disability that limits your independent use of a campus library, please check the list of Library Contacts for Users With Disabilities to locate someone to assist you. If you need assistance getting to a campus library, The Loop may be of interest to you. In addition to the specialized library services described below, users are encouraged to become familiar with the core library services available to them as:

All Library users are responsible for complying with library borrowing rules, including due dates for all materials checked out in their name. Email is the Library's means of communication with you regarding your account; borrowers must keep a current email address on file. The Library draws contact information from the UCB Calnet Directory and users should update their information via that directory (in "Edit Person Information" and "Edit Address Information"). Users are advised not to update information directly in OskiCat (as its user information gets overwritten by automatic updates from the CalNet Directory). For more information about borrowing, see the guide to borrowing privileges and responsibilities. If you have a mobility disability, staff at all libraries can assist you by:

Facilitating use of the OskiCat and Melvyl library catalogs
Pulling books from stacks and shelves (may be on delayed basis)
Extending loan periods or modifying rules (when possible)
Calling another library to confirm the availability of library resources
Setting up personal equipment in a study area for individual use if space allows

All libraries have at least one wheelchair accessible workstation. The entry level (3d Floor) of Moffitt Library has the widest range of specialized equipment in the Library. There are 4 workstations labeled with disabled access priority: two have adjustable height tables; three are equipped with trackballs and mice, and all have monitors set to 800 x 600 resolution. There is also a print enlarger machine (black and white only).

If the library service desk is busy or the assistance you need will take some time, an appointment may be necessary.

Proxy Borrower Cards

If you are a UC Berkeley student, faculty, or staff member with a mobility disability, you may be eligible for a proxy borrower card that permits a specified friend or attendant to borrow library materials for you. Complete an online Proxy card application, or pick one up from the Privileges Desk (Doe Library, floor 1).

Reference Help

The availability of drop-in reference help may vary from library to library. You are encouraged to check the list of Library Contacts for Users with Disabilities to locate someone to assist you with:

Connecting to the library catalogs and electronic resources from off campus
Determining appropriate library resources for your research topic
Accessing electronic resources, such as WilsonWeb full-text databases that offer ReadSpeaker "text to speech" converter to listen to full-text articles as streaming audio, or download as MP3s for playback later
Determining library holdings and locations from extensive bibliographies
Reading call numbers or provide oral or written directions to help locate library materials for those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and ADD

You may also email your reference, research, and "how do I" questions from OskiCat (Ask Us tab), or contact us from the Research Help page.

If you are hard-of-hearing or have deafness, you may reach us through the California Relay Service.

Campus Resources

Microcomputer Facilities.

The Moffitt Microcomputer Facility (MMF, First Floor North, Moffitt Library), has a Mac computer running Snow Leopard OS x 10.6.8. The Mac has voice over screen mode and magnification and is installed with the Kurzweil 3000 program. MMF has a PC computer installed with Kurzweil 3000, JAWS for Windows, Open Book, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and Wynn Wizard programs. There is also a print enlarger machine that handles both black and white and color. In addition, there are two ADA workstations in the Life Sciences Microcomputer Facility (LSMF, 2105 Valley Life Sciences). LSMF has one Mac and one Windows machine. The Wheeler Microcomputer Facility (WMF, 211 Wheeler Hall) has two Windows machines and also has drop-in labs. In WMF the Dragon NaturallySpeaking machine is in a separate room.

The Disabled Students' Program (DSP), 260 Cesar Chavez Student Center, (510) 642-0518, or (510) 642-6376 (TTY)

DSP offers a wide range of services for UC Berkeley students with disabilities that are individually designed, and based on the specific needs of each student as identified by Disability Specialists.

Assistive Technology Teaching and Learning Center (ATTLC), 22 Wheeler Hall, (510) 643-7591

ATTLC offers DSP students software for literacy, speech recognition, organizing, and visual assistance, as well as a Braille embosser and media to convert textbooks into accessible formats on demand. Contact Lucy Greco, (510) 643-7591, lgreco@berkeley.edu, for additional information.

DSP’s Campus Access page has resources to help you access the campus’ buildings, programs and services.