Assistive technology refers to any piece of equipment that eliminates or diminishes barriers to information and maximizes independence.

Wheelchair-accessible Computer Workstations

Wheelchair accessible computer workstations that are height adjustable are available at all branch locations.

Assistive Technology Workstations

The Assistive Technology Workstation located in the Talking Book Department at the Central Library provides specialized assistive technology programs and equipment designed to meet a range of user needs.

This workstation has the following equipment:

•    Large character keyboard with black typeface on yellow keys
•    Trackball – a pointing device that functions like an upside-down mouse.  To move the pointer on the screen, the user rotates the ball with the thumb, fingers or palm of the hand.  There are also two large buttons on the trackball that are used like regular mouse buttons.
•    Regular mouse
•    Height adjustable desk
•    Printer
•    JAWS – is a screen reading software that allows users to hear text read, as it appears on a computer screen.  Text can be read in French or in English and saved for future reference or modification.  JAWS is the most popular screen reader worldwide.

Adaptive Workstations

All of our computer workstations can have the fonts enlarged and configured to narrate printed text. There are a few workstations where the default settings include larger fonts and shortcuts have been created for Microsoft’s ‘Narrator’ and ‘Magnify’ applications. These can be found at all branch locations

Headphones and Saving Information

The Library does not provide headphones for public use. Please bring your own headphones for use with these programs. To use Dragon Naturally Speaking, you will require headphones with a microphone attachment.

To save your material, please bring a CD-RW or a flash drive (USB).

If you interested in using these workstations or need assistance, please contact one of the above branches to make an appointment for an introductory tutorial.