Library service - people with disabilities

Visually Impaired

Solihull libraries have resources and equipment to help everyone make full use of library services across the borough.

Assistance and Guide Dogs are welcome in all libraries. If you feel you may want assistance using the library services please speak to a member of staff at your local library who will be happy to advise or assist you.

Visually Impaired

If you are blind of partially sighted, there are a number of services in Solihull libraries that could be of interest to you and improve your access to library materials and resources

• Talking books - a wide range of titles to listen to (free for visually impaired customers)
• Visually Impaired Resources Centre located at Central Library

The National Library for the Blind (NLB )

The National Library for the Blind is a registered charity and a leading agency in the provision of library and information services for visually impaired people.

NLB's Lending Library has an extensive collection of books for children and adults in Grade 1 and 2 Braille and in Moon. They also have a Braille Music Library, a small collection of large print and audio books and a Giant Print Library for children and young people.

There stock includes fiction, non-fiction and reference material to meet most leisure, information and lifelong learning needs -

www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_libinfoser.hcsp

Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB )

RNIB's Library Information Service provides a wide range of braille and cassette books, to buy or borrow. They also offer a Talking Book Service of over 12,000 titles. If you would like to find out more about the full range of services offered by RNIB, contact Customer Services at cservices@rnib.org.uk or call 0845 702 3153 - www.rnib.org.uk/reading

Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom (TNAUK)

TNAUK provides national and local newspaper magazines on audio tape, computer disk, email, internet download and CD-ROM for visually impaired and disabled people who find reading a strain - http://www.tnauk.org.uk/

Calibre Cassette Library

Calibre is a registered charity, set up in 1974 to provide a postal lending service to people who cannot read ordinary print books because of a sight problem or other physical disability. The service is free to members - http://www.calibre.org.uk/

Contact Details

For further information contact libraryarts@solihull.gov.uk