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Services for the Disabled and Homebound

The Homebound Service delivers books, magazines, videos and audiotapes to individuals who are unable to use the library because of an illness or disability. The Homebound Service also provides library service to area nursing and residential homes for the elderly. Books are delivered by both staff members and volunteers.
Large Print books, newspapers and magazines are available for visually-impaired patrons. Bi-Folkal Kits contain slides with narration or a video, music, and hands-on materials designed for older adults. These kits encourage them to share their memories and experiences. Nursing homes, retirement centers, and the general public may borrow these kits.

Services for the Physically Disabled includes over 400 commercial catalogs containing clothing, equipment, and other items designed to assist elderly and/or disabled individuals. These catalogues are available for loan. Videotapes on ADA, and a multi-volume series on both wheelchair skills, and home nursing techniques can also be borrowed. Wheelchairs and a seated walker are located in the Department for use in the library. The Literacy & Outreach Services Department also provides an information and referral service to area agencies, schools, individuals and organizations assisting people with disabilities.

Services for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. The Literacy & Outreach Services Department has a collection of approximately 300 instructional, educational, and entertainment videos in sign language. (Catalog of complete collection available on request). Books on deafness and sign language are housed in the library's general collection. Assistive listening devices (both FM and hard-wire), signaling devices, TTY's and closed caption decoders are available for loan. Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing patrons residing in nineteen other library districts have access to both videos and equipment through Inter-Library Loan and an area library courier system.

Services for the Blind and Visually-Impaired. The Literacy & Outreach Services Department provides applications for the State Library Talking Book Program for persons with vision impairment, physical or learning disabilities making it impossible to read printed books. The department also maintains a small Talking Book deposit collection. The library's general holdings includes an extensive Large Print book collection. A collection of Braille games is available for loan (i.e. Scrabble, Uno, Battleship). A computer with a Braille Printer is available for public use. (The Braille Printer translates words typed on a computer into Braille). Descriptive videos are available for loan. There are approximately 70 descriptive videos in the collection. (Descriptive videos are popular movies with verbal descriptions of visual elements. The descriptions do not interfere with the movie dialogue and sound effects). Various kinds of magnifiers and a Visualtek (electronic closed-circuit reading aid for magnification) are available for patrons to use.


For more information contact Pat Gable at p.gable@gomail.sjcpl.lib.in.us
or call Literacy & Outreach Services at 574-282-4655

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