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Facilities for people with disabilities in SUM Library buildings

Main Library, 14 Warszawska St, Katowice

The workstation, located in the Reading Room on the first floor of the building at 14 Warszawska Street in Katowice, equipped with desktop, connected to high definition touchscreen and flatbed scanner, which allows the copying of documents into digital form. Desktop with dimensions of 200×80 cm and electrically adjustable heightspecialised rehabilitation chair and adjustable footrest provide a high level of working comfort.
At the workstation is a computer, a 27-inch iiyama ProLite touchscreen monitor and a Plustek OPTICBOOK 3900 scanner.

On the computer installed JAWS Standard sound programmewhich makes it easier for blind users to work independently. The programme converts screen information into speech using a speech synthesiser, enabling sightless users to operate standard applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, multimedia presentations and web browsers.
To provide visually impaired users with a comfortable working environment, the computer is also equipped with the ZoomText Magnifier and Reader, which magnifies and highlights everything on the computer screen by up to 60x, and other features to customise the display (advanced edge smoothing, graphic filtering to improve readability and reduce eye fatigue, and cursor expansion for easier cursor positioning).
The workstation is also equipped with BIGtrack 2 enlarged computer mouse by Ablenet, which has two very large, high-contrast buttons and a large trackball. The mouse will be useful for the visually impaired and people with limb dysfunctions (it can be operated by hand or foot).
Keyboard ZoomText Large-Print Keyboard by FreedomScientific allows for comfortable use by the visually impaired thanks to enlarged print. The ZoomText function makes it possible to enlarge the text on the screen.

The Library also offers:

  • 10-inch magnifying glass Snow 10 Pro, which allows text captured with the camera to be read out with a synthetic voice, using an OCR mechanism. The magnifier can also play MP3 files, store up to 1,000 photos and magnify photos up to 19 times.
  • The Geemarc LoopHEAR LH150 portable induction loop, which transmits an amplified and directed signal from the speaker's microphone. The user can receive sounds from two sources (e.g. speakers, audio source) simultaneously.

Branches of the SUM Library

Branch of the Library in Katowice-Ligota
18 Medyków Street
40-752 Katowice-Ligota

Oddział Biblioteki w Sosnowcu
Ostrogórska 30 Street
41-200 Sosnowiec

Zabrze-Rokitnica Library Branch
Jordana 19 Street
41-808 Zabrze-Rokitnica

The SUM Library's branches have stations for people with disabilities, which are equipped with:

  • desktop computer, connected to a high-resolution screen;
  • Plustek OpticBook 3800 L scanner;
  • height-adjustable desktop;
  • specialist rehabilitation chair with adjustable footrest;
  • JAWS standard sound programme for the visually impaired and blind;
  • ZoomText Magnifier and Reader, a magnification and reading programme, magnifies up to 60 times;
  • BIGtrack 2 enlarged computer mouse from Ablenet, with two large coloured buttons. Mouse for the visually impaired and people with limb dysfunctions;
  • FreedomScientific's ZoomText Large-Print Keyboard with enlarged print;
  • magnifying magnifier Snow 10 Pro or Snow 7 HD Plus, which enables synthesised voice reading of camera-captured text, using an OCR mechanism. The magnifier can also play MP3 files, store up to 1,000 photos and magnify them up to 19 times;
  • The Geemarc LoopHEAR LH150 induction loop, which transmits an amplified and targeted signal from the speaker's microphone, operates up to 2 metres from the device.