Accessibility of services for people with mobility disabilities
Scholarly Communication and Information Centre (SCIC)
The SCIC is located in the newly erected (2013) building and its premises are designed to meet the needs of all users:
The spaces between the shelves and desks, entrance doors to toilets, rooms for group work, seminar rooms are wider than 80 centimetres. The floor of the entire building is on one level, part of the floor is made of concrete (atrium), and reading room floors are covered with a carpet.
Both Leisure and Law reading rooms have height-adjustable tables. Self-service facilities as well as information terminals are height-adjustable.
Each floor has toilets for users with special needs. They can reach every floor with the help of the lift.
Users with special needs are provided with the possibility to order the following computer accessories:
- Special computer mouse Traxsys Roller Joystick II designed for people with motoric impairment
- Special computer mouse Traxsys RollerII, which operates the same way as an electronic wheelchair
On all issues related to assistive technologies for physically disabled, please contact librarians working at the Information Desk of SCIC by phone +370 5 219 5051 or by email .
Central Library
The Central Library is situated in the unique architectural ensemble of the 16th century; therefore, its premises have many stairs, narrow passages and doors. We do our best to those with disabilities through the help of our Library staff. If you want to place a request for a publication, please contact a librarian working in the reading room via email or by phone who would offer the best possible option to get the publication: to send the document to your home, to fetch the document to the selected place or to send a copy of the document to your email.
Contacts of the staff working in the reading rooms of the Central Library you will find in here.
The Philosophy and Lithuanian Studies reading rooms are equipped with height-adjustable tables and ergonomic chairs.
Self-service devices and information terminals located in the Central Library are height-adjustable as well.
On all issues related to assistive technologies for physically disabled, please contact librarians working at the Information Desk of the Central Library by phone +370 5 268 7147.
Virtual tour
Virtual tour gives a possibility for users to virtually familiarise themselves with the spaces of both the Central Library and the Scholarly Communication and Information Centre of Vilnius University Library.
Assistive technologies for visually impaired Library users
Scholarly Communication and Information Centre (SCIC)
Braille's Room at the Life Sciences Reading Room is designated for visually impaired Library users. Braille's Room has a text recognition and reading device SARA CE and a computer with 40 square electronic Braille device supplied with an integrated keyboard Esys 40, Braille printer Braille Ebosser Everest-D V4 with an acoustic booth and a scanner. The computer is supplied with the following software:
- Screen magnifier SuperNova Magnifier
- Digital talking book player EasyReader
- Software for file conversion EasyConverter
- Converter into Braille
- Screen reading programmes JAWS 18 and NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access)
- text-to-MP3 converter Balabolka
- Microsoft Office 2003 with compatibility package.
The tactile device Zyfuse, an innovative heater, is used to produce tactile diagrams on paper.
Braille’s Room can be booked in advance via Workplace reservation system or at the Information Desk upon the arrival at the Library.
The portable video magnifier Aumed AUMAX-LCD-19 is available at Leisure Reading Room.
Electronic portable magnifiers Aumed AUKEY Ultra-Portable Video Magnifier can be borrowed at the Information Desk.
Users with special needs are provided with the possibility to order the following computer accessories:
- Keyboard for visually impaired High Contrast Keyboard
- Crick USB Switch Box for connecting several assistive devices to the computer
On all issues regarding assistive technologies for visually impaired in the SCIC, please contact librarians working at the Information Desk by phone +370 5 219 5051.
Central Library
Electronic portable magnifiers Aumed AUKEY Ultra-Portable Video Magnifier can be borrowed at the Information Desk.
Copy/Print room has a text recognition and reading device SARA CE and a computer connected to Braille printer Braille Ebosser Everest-D V4 with acoustic booth and a keyboard for visually impaired High Contrast Keyboard. The computer is supplied with the following software:
- Screen reading programme Dolphin Super Nova Magnifier
- text-to-MP3 converter Balabolka
- Microsoft Office 2003 with compatibility package.
The stationary screen or text magnifiers TOPAZ XL XD 24 are situated in Copy/Print Room and Manuscript Reading Room.
On all issues related to assistive technologies for visually impaired, please contact librarians working at the Information Desk of the Central Library by phone +370 5 268 7147.
Kaunas Faculty
Kaunas Faculty Reading Room has a text recognition and reading device SARA CE and a computer connected to Braille printer Braille Ebosser Everest-D V4.
The computer is supplied with the following software:
- Screen magnifier SuperNova 13.51
- Reading app for dyslexia, low vision and blindness Dolphin Easy Reader 04
- text-to-MP3 converter Balabolka
- Reader for Daisy Books FSReader 2.0
On all issues regarding assistive technologies for visually impaired at the Kaunas Faculty Library, please contact librarian of the Kaunas Faculty Viktorija Mačiulytė by email or by phone +370 37 202627.
Šiauliai Academy Information Centre
Members of VU community, students, and citizens of Šiauliai city and district are welcome to use the following facilities:
The high-quality text magnifier Smart View 360 with the help of which there is a possibility to change both the type and the colour of text background depending on the specificity of visual perception;
The text reading software Dolphin Easy Converter with a sound synthesizer;
The relief printer Zyfuse, a device which, by means of heating embosses lines, figures, shadows or other objects on the microcapsule paper makes them tangible for people with visual impairments.
The image magnifying system with the text reading function Vocatex Plus 27.
All these facilities were donated to Šiauliai Academy Information Centre (the then Šiauliai University Library) by Šiauliai Rotary Club “Saulė”.
On all issues regarding assistive technologies for visually impaired at Šiauliai Academy Information Centre, please contact librarians working at the Information Desk by phone +370 41 595 706 or by email:
Fetching of requested publications to the selected [University] location
Members of VU community with mobility disabilities, special disorientation or other similar problems may place a request for publications necessary for study or leisure from any reading room of the Library. The requested publications will be fetched to the desired place of the university, which is suitable for the user with mobility disabilities for picking up.
For fetching requested publications, please contact the subject librarian of your faculty.
Ordering adjusted copy of publication
Members of VU community that cannot read an ordinary text (users with visual impairment or those having learning difficulties or other problems) may order an adjusted copy of the publication from the University Library holdings. An adjusted copy of publication is a digitised document that is presented in PDF format and processed with OCR, i. e. Optical Character Recognition technology, which is recognized by the majority text reading devices.
For ordering an adjusted copy of the publication, please submit an inquiry via email by presenting bibliographic data of the publication (author, title, publication date). Your inquiry will be dealt with within one week depending on the busyness of the staff.
Please note that after receiving your inquiry, a librarian may ask you to present documents proving your right to get such copy.
Other useful information
Lithuanian Audiosensory Library https://www.labiblioteka.lt/
ELVIS https://elvislab.lt/ Virtual catalogue of Lithuanian Audiosensory Library
Bookshare https://www.bookshare.org/search is a library of e-books intended for people who cannot read an ordinary text.
RoboBraille https://www.robobraille.org/ is a free online tool converting documents into files accessible for people who cannot read an ordinary text such as mp3, DAISY (including Lithuanian), EPUB, DOC, HTML et al.
Ordering Lithuanian sign language service https://www.vertimaigestais.lt/informacija-uzsakymams/