Accessibility

The Collingwood Public Library facility is fully accessible with the following features:

• One accessible parking space for those with an Accessible Parking Permit
• Flush curb
• Automatic door openers
• Elevator to the second floor
• Accessible washrooms on the first and second floor.
• A wheelchair is available for use in the Library (request for use upon arrival at the Public Services Desk)
• Braille signage on the washrooms and inside the elevator
• A height adjustable accessible computer station desk on the second floor

To meet the unique needs of all Library patrons, we offer an accessible computer station located on the second floor of the building. At the station there are three computers equipped with:

• Large Screen Monitors
• Large Font Keyboards
• Trackball mice (on request)
• Scanners

Please note that all computers have Windows 10, which includes accessibility options that allow users to personalize their computer options; they can turn on programs that make it easier to see, hear, and use the computer. These features are located in the Ease of Access Center.

The Library has two compact folding bookstands that can be used for hands-free reading; most books, magazines, and tablets can fit on the stands. Please ask at the Public Services Desk.

The Library has electronic desktop video magnifiers designed to assist people with low-vision available for use. The Library also has handheld magnifier sheets at the Public Services Desk.

The Library has an infrared assistive listening system that provides personal hearing assistance when background noise or distance from a sound source makes hearing difficult. To reserve the infrared system for use in our meeting rooms, make your request when booking a meeting room. 

The library has seven DAISY Players and a growing collection of DAISY books located on the first floor. The DAISY Player may be rented for a period of two weeks and the loan period for DAISY books is two months.

eBooks and Audiobooks can be downloaded from the Library’s website to your tablet or e-reader. You may also read these books online in your web browser. 

Large print books are available in both fiction and non-fiction. Their typeface is about three times larger than that of regular books.

As a member of the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), Collingwood Public Library offers access to over 300,000 items to anyone who has a visual, physical, or learning disability that prevents them from reading conventional print. Individuals registered with CELA may also access Bookshare, a selection of popular e-synthesized titles (over 500,000 titles available).

A Collingwood Public Library membership is required to set up an account with CELA; please ask staff for assistance. If you’d prefer to talk to a representative from CELA please call the CELA Helpline: 1-855-655-2273.

NNELS is an online public library of books for people with a print disability in audiobook, DAISY, PDF, EPUB, e-text, electronic Braille, and other formats. Eligible users include individuals with print disabilities or people acting on their behalf. Print disabilities include vision, mobility, and comprehension impairments that prevent individuals from being able to read a print book.

Library registration required. After registering at the library, eligible users, or friends and family members, can access the NNELS catalogue and download material directly, or request assistance from library staff. NNELS accepts requests for new books, so if an eligible user cannot find a book in a format that works for them, NNELS can produce it.