Accessibility Resource Guide
Accessible Resources at FLLS | Other Accessible Lending Libraries | Local Resources | Helpful Links
Accessible Resources at FLLS Libraries
Collections at member libraries in the Finger Lakes Library System include many materials for people with special needs of all ages. View the brochures below to learn more or scroll down.
- Accessibility Resources Brochure
- Accessibility Resources Handout
[Accessible with Screen Reader] - Accessibility in the Library Catalog Brochure
- Accessibility in the Library Catalog Handout [Accessible with Screen Reader]
All of the materials listed below can be requested through catalog.flls.org and picked up at any local library (exception: Talking Book machines must be requested via email or phone):
Large Print Books:
Over 27,000 large print items are available in our system. To find titles in the catalog, limit or narrow the search to “large print” format.
Audiobooks:
Recorded books are available in several formats:
- CDs
- Playaways – These are pocket-sized, all-in-one players used with headphones.
- Digital Books – To download free audiobooks, visit our OverDrive catalog.
To find titles in the catalog, limit or narrow the search to “audio book” format.
Accessible eBooks:
Do you have trouble using printed materials? If you need adjustable type size, you can also download eBooks at our OverDrive catalog. For help browsing your library’s OverDrive website with a screen reader, visit OverDrive Help.
Braille Resources:
Our member libraries have Braille books in their collections. These can be requested through the library catalog and picked up at any member library. To search the catalog for these titles, enter * into the search field and limit by “Braille.” For a wider selection of children’s materials, please contact the New York State Talking Books and Braille Library.
Helpful Braille Links
Talking Books and Braille Library:
This state program lends audiobooks and braille items by mail to people who can’t use print materials. Machines and application forms are available directly from FLLS. Visit our Outreach Services webpage or Talking Books and Braille Library for more information.
Other Accessible Lending Libraries
Bookshare – This online library offers thousands of digital books and periodicals in accessible formats to people who cannot use standard print materials.
Choice Magazine Listening – If you qualify for the NYS Talking Books and Braille Library, then you are also eligible to receive recorded tapes of many current magazine and newspaper articles for free. Content is drawn from popular magazines. To subscribe, fill out an online application, or contact jshonk@flls.org for a paper application.
Described and Captioned Media Program – This program provides provides free loans of captioned and described educational media to K-12 students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. Members can watch streaming media content online, or can request postage-paid DVDs by mail. Membership is free to qualified students, family members, teachers and other professionals. U.S. Department of Education–funded.
Open Library – This organization offers 1 million+ books in DAISY format for people with print disabilities, including many contemporary titles. The books can be freely downloaded to devices that translate the text and read it aloud. To access these books, a United States resident with print disabilities just has to register with the Library of Congress’s National Library Service (NLS): 1-800-424-8567.
Tiflonexos – A digital library of Spanish materials for people who cannot use print materials due to blindness or a physical disability. Membership is free (small donation requested for regular users). Trabajamos por un mayor acceso de las personas con discapacidad a la lectura a través del aprovechamiento de la tecnología. Tiflolibros, primera biblioteca en Internet para personas con discapacidad visual de habla hispana.
Local Resources
Independent Living Centers (ILCs): Affiliated with ACCES-VR, ILCs provide an array of services that assist New Yorkers with disabilities to live integrated and self-directed lives. ILCs assist with living, learning, and earning and work to remove barriers to full participation in to the local community and beyond. For more information, please click on the ILC in your county:
- Cayuga and Seneca Counties – ARISE
- Cortland County – Access to Independence
- Tioga County – Southern Tier Independence Center
- Tompkins County – Finger Lakes Independence Center
Challenge Workforce Solutions: This organization, based in Ithaca, NY, helps people with differing abilities find rewarding work.
Other Helpful Links
American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project – Learn about Audio Description, from what is it, to samples, to who does it, to what titles are available in various media.
U.S. Disability Services – Information and resources about disability programs, services, laws and benefits from the federal government.
Blindness and Disability Resources (TBBL) – List of resources for living with blindness, visual impairment, or other physical disabilities.
LawHelpNY – Learn about your disability-related legal rights, find free legal information and aid, get information about the courts, and more.
Lighthouse Guild – This nonprofit provides clinical services, education, research, and advocacy for people with low vision and blindness.
NV Access – Empowering lives through non-visual access to technology. The site features a screen reader that can be downloaded for free.
New York State Commission for the Blind – This organization provides vocational rehabilitation and other direct services to legally blind New York State residents, including children, adults, and seniors. Features a list of resources and links.
VisionAware – Free, easy-to-use informational service for adults who are blind or have low vision and their families/caregivers.