Resources

University of Waterloo Libraries is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal opportunity and multiple options to discover and access all library resources and services.

If there is any signage, handouts, informational material, or non-resource that you require in an alternative format, please contact Library Accessibility Services.

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Textbooks

Visit the AccessAbility Services website for information on how to request textbooks and other course-required material in alternative formats, like Braille, large print, and electronic files.

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Library ebooks

Through the library, you have access to thousands of ebooks. Many of our eBooks and journal articles are hosted by external publishers. The accessibility of their platforms and materials varies. For more information on how to access, use, or troubleshoot our eBook collection visit the eBooks @ UWaterloo guide.

If you have any difficulty accessing these platofrms or the materials provided therein, contact Library Accessibility Services.

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Accessible Content E-Portal (ACE)

The Accessible Content E-Portal (ACE) is a repository of alternative format texts available to users with print disabilities, maintained by Scholars Portal as a service of the Ontario Council of University Libraries that provides access to users participating institutions in Ontario.

Alternative formats for print materials held in our library collection can include PDFs (in black and white or colour), DAISY, ePub, and plain text.

Library students registered with AccessAbility Services or staff registered with Occupational Health with a documented print disability can request an alternative format version of any physical item held in the University of Waterloo library collection. Use the Request Accessible Version form found in the record of every physical item in OMNI to send your request to Library Accessibility Services. If you have an ACE token, include it in the request. 

Time to digitize an item currently held within the University of Waterloo Library collection can take up to two weeks. For items not currently held by the University of Waterloo, timelines can be significantly longer while we acquire and then digitize the item. 

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ACE tokens

Access to the ACE repository is controlled via an ACE token. An ACE token is an alphanumeric password unique to each person. It allows a person to access and search for books that have been digitized and placed in ACE.

If you do not have an ACE token assigned to you, when you submit a Request Accessible Version form to Library Accessibility Services for the first time, we will confirm your eligibility with AccessAbility Services. If you are eligible, a token will be assigned and sent to you. If you lose your ACE Token, contact Library Accessibility Services.

Once you have received an ACE token, login to ACE to access the repository. If an item exists in ACE you can downloaded it directly in your choice of available formats. If you require an alternative format to what is available, please contact LAS.

For a guide on how to use ACE, visit the ACE Portal Guide, or refer to these two videos: getting started with ACE and searching the ACE portal.

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Why only users with print disabilities?

Free and timely access to alternative formats of materials is a condition of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). However, reproducing an item produced, owned, and copyrighted by another person, organization, or entity is a violation of the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42). 

The exception, as indicated under section 32 of the Canadian Copyright Act, is to "reproduce a ... work, in a format specially designed for persons with a perceptual disability." Because of this exception, we are able to offer access to the full reproduction of items within the library collection in an alternative format to users that have a perceptual disability, and are registered with AccessAbility Services or Occupational Health. 

Library Acccessibility Services is aware that users with a broader range of accessibility needs than just perceptual disabilities can and do benefit from alternative formats. Work from Accessibility Advocacy groups is underway to lobby the Provincial and Federal governments to amend legislation to allow access to more users. At this time though, LAS must follow the legal requirements described above.

Library Accessibility Services (LAS) offers a variety of assistive devices available to borrow for use within the library.

If you have any questions about using our assistive tech, our trained staff are happy to help. If you have any suggestions or recommendations or hardware that LAS should purchase to improve your experience at the University of Waterloo, reach out to Library Accessibility Services, or drop by our office hours to talk to LAS staff.

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Available devices

The holdings of borrowable assistive devices are available in Omni. Items cannot be put on hold, and cannot be removed from the library from which they are borrowed. All items must be returned the day they are borrowed. One-time permission must be added to your library account in order to borrow this tech; please contact Library Accessibility Services to have this permission added.

Bose QuietComfort 25 noise cancelling headphones

• advanced noise reduction technology providing exceptional elimination of intrusive outside noise and aural distractions
• Bose QuietComfort 25 demonstration video (YouTube video)

Availability:

• Two available at Dana Porter circulation desk
• Two available at Davis Centre circulation desk
• One available at Musagetes circulation desk

C-Pen: Reader 2

• a pocket-sized device that scans text and reads it out to you aloud in real time in natural speaking voices
• C-Pen Reader 2 demonstration video (YouTube video)

Availability:

• Two available at Dana Porter circulation desk
• Two available at Davis Centre circulation desk
• Two available at Musagetes circulation desk

Pebble HD Hand-Held Magnifiers

• lightweight, portable magnifier
• especially useful for browsing Library's collections (magnifying call numbers on books)
• Pebble Magnifier demonstration video (YouTube video)

Availability:

• Two available at Davis Centre circulation desk

Pocketalker PRO

• personal amplification device to improve hearing
• ideal for one-on-one conversations
• Pocketalker demonstration video (YouTube video)

Availability:

• One available at Dana Porter circulation desk
• Two available at Davis Centre circulation desk

UbiDuo 2

• ideal tool to facilitate face-to-face interaction where typing is the easiest way to communicate
• allows individuals to chat in real time on wireless machines
• UbiDuo 2 demonstration video (YouTube video)

Availability:

• One available at Dana Porter circulation desk

Library Accessibility Services (LAS) offers access to a variety assistive software within the Adaptive Technology Centre (ATC).

If you have any questions about using our assistive tech, our trained staff are happy to help. If you have any suggestions or recommendations or software that LAS should purchase to improve your experience at the University of Waterloo, reach out to Library Accessibility Services, or drop by our office hours to talk to LAS staff.

Kuzweil 3000

The University of Waterloo has a site-licence for the use of Kurzweil 3000, made available thanks to AccessAbility Services. This entitles every student, staff, and faculty member to have access to one of the best pieces of assistive technology.

To activate your Kurzweil 3000 account, contact Library Accessibility Services.

• Comprehensive reading, writing, and study support
• Tutorial: How to use Kurzweil 3000 (YouTube video)
• Available as a desktop application, browser extention, or web interface
• Improve readability with text-to-speech in over 18 languages and dialects
• Read text from a variety of digital formats, including PDFs, images, and the web
• Engage learners with note taking and study guides
• Support comprehension with dictionaries, translations and more
• Facilitate writing with templates, word prediction and spell checking

Additional Softwares

The ATC common room computers are loaded with Kurzweil 3000, and:

ZoomText

• Fully integrated magnification and reading program tailored for low-vision users
• Tutorial: Zoom Text Full Video (YouTube video)
• Enlarges and enhances everything on your computer screen
• Automatically reads documents, web pages, email

Inspiration 10

• The ultimate thinking and learning tool for visual mapping, outlining, and writing
• Tutorial: Inspiration 10 (website)
• Create mind maps, concept maps, graphic organizers, outlines and presentations with ease

The ATC study room computers are loaded with:

Fusion

• Combination of Job Access With Speech (JAWS) computer screen reader and ZoomText screen magnifier)
• Tutorial: Introducing ZoomText Fusion 11 (YouTube video)
• JAWS is the world's most popular screen reader
•  Allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

• Voice recognition software for speech-to-text
• Tutorial: See Dragon in Action (YouTube video)
• Voice recognition in dictation with speech transcribed as written text
• Recognition of spoken commands
• Speaking text content of a document

Inspiration 10

• See above.

If the spaces and/or services within the library are falling short of what you need, the Library Accessibility Services team is happy to meet with you, to understand and develop solutions to the specific challenges you are facing.

While disclosure is not required, the more details we have about the challenges you are encountering allow us to craft a solution which is relevant and meaningful to you. Please fill out the Library Accessibility Services introduction form to schedule a meeting.

Learn more about how to request items be retrieved from the shelf, where on campus library items can be picked up, and how to have library items mailed to your address.