Accessibility and the Library & Archives
Accessibility is important to our people. Being able to engage with education and research meaningfully means being able to access and navigate the services and collections the Library and Archives has to offer without barriers and with ease. While this overarching goal is an ongoing pursuit, we have put work into dismantling accessibility issues in our digital and physical spaces and offer support and resources to enhance the library and archival experience for all users. We also work closely with Acadia’s Accessibility Office to ensure the disability community on campus is supported and championed.
Our Online Collections
While lots of the Library’s or Archives' materials are in print or physical formats, we provide access to large collections of electronic materials suitable for staff, students, and faculty with print disabilities. In addition to our online article databases and indexes, the Library also has access to individual eBooks and eBook packages, online journals, streaming video and audio subscriptions, archival collections, and Library guides.
Accessible Materials for Students
If you are a student with a print disability, you are entitled to receive digital copies of print books, readings and other materials to support your studying and coursework. A print disability is a condition that makes reading standard printed materials challenging or impossible due to differences in visual, physical, cognitive, or learning abilities. You can reach out to the Accessible Learning Office or contact the Library’s Accessibility Coordinator to discuss options for alternative formats. You may also visit the Access Desk in the Library to register for the National Network for Equitable Library Access (NNELS) a service where individuals with print disabilities can find and download accessible books in a variety of formats for free.
Accessibility Resources for Staff and Faculty
Duty to accommodate
As a faculty member, you are responsible for ensuring that students with disabilities can fully engage and interact with your lectures or course content. It is crucial that all students receive the support and accommodation they need to participate equally in your classes. Acadia’s Accessible Learning Office provides a comprehensive list of your responsibilities to your students as an educator.
Finding accessible materials in our collections
We recommend planning to have multiple formats of your course materials in advance, either from the Library or for purchase by the students. Having both print/printable and electronic formats available or as options ensures the broadest possible access. Incorporating other formats like video or podcasts also contributes to a better educational experience for all students. Lists of where to find digital materials are located in the Accessible Books and More – Our Collections section of this page. You can also reach out to the Accessibility Coordinator or your Liaison Librarian to assist you in preparing materials for your course.
Have an image, article, or other document that isn’t machine-readable? Contact the Library’s Accessibility Coordinator to find out more about applying Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and tags to digital items or scanning printed materials. With archival materials, all requests for scanned documents, excluding handwritten-items, have OCR applied to their contents for the purposes of machine-readability. Please note that this does not include additional accessibility features such as linked headings or alternate text for images. Patrons who require a higher degree of document accessibility can contact archives@acadiau.ca to discuss their needs.
Our Accessibility LibGuide also offers resources on accessibility in teaching and learning.
Accessible books and articles for staff & faculty
Staff and faculty with print disabilities are also entitled to books, articles, and other materials in accessible formats to support their work, research, and teaching. Please contact the Accessibility Coordinator or the Accessibility Services Office for more information.
Accessible Spaces
While we work to improve our spaces in an ongoing effort to dismantle barriers in the Library, the Library does provide:
- A universally designed Access Desk
- Study space with adjustable desks
- Automatic doors at the entrance
- Assistance with retrieving physical items from the stacks
- Elevators to reach upper and lower floors
- Both visual and auditory emergency signaling
- Closed captioning on Library television
- Wheelchair accessible bathrooms
Accessible Washrooms
Physically accessible spaces can be found at the following locations:
- 2nd floor gender-neutral washroom
- 3rd floor gender-neutral fully accessibile washroom (New in October 2024!)
- 3rd floor women's washroom
- 5th floor women's washroom
2nd floor gender-neutral washroom
This single stall washroom has a sharps container and measures 251 cm (99 in) long and 160 cm (63 in) wide. The counter clearance inside the door is 104 cm (41 in). Both elevators can be used to access this washroom. The second floor does not have automatic doors.
3rd floor gender-neutral fully accessible washroom
This fully accessible room is equipped with a change table, a sharps container, and a menstrual products dispenser. It features an electric lock operated by a wall-mounted switch, which also illuminates an external occupancy panel to indicate when the room is in use. Additionally, the room includes an emergency switch that, when pressed, triggers an alarm and activates a signal light above the door, ensuring swift response in case of emergencies.
As the Library and Archives move forward with its duty to create a fully accessible space, we will strive to address the concerns of our community as they arise. For immediate assistance with our physical space, contact the Access Desk by phone (902-585-1249). For general comments or concerns, please reach out to the Accessibility Coordinator or our Facilities Coordinator, Aran Silmeryn.
Accessibility and Our Website
Our website is built with care and accessibility best practices in mind. We use a mix of web-based standards, usability and user experience, and universal design to create an online space where our community of users can easily navigate and access our services and resources. Our website was audited for accessibility in 2020 by Access Changes Everything. We have corrected and maintained audit recommendations in addition to proactively adapting the website as standards and practices change. Please contact the Accessibility Coordinator if you have accessibility questions or concerns about the website.
More Resources
Accessibility Coordinator
Maggie Neilson (she/her)
Academic Librarian
Room 420
902-585-1718
maggiejean.neilson@acadiau.ca
Chat with Maggie via Microsoft Teams