Library Services for Individuals with Disabilities

The Miller Nichols Library supports the academic mission of the University of Missouri - Kansas City by providing services and assistance to all members of the University community. The Miller Nichols Library fully cooperates with the campus Office of Services for Students with Disabilities OSSD) for the benefit of patrons with disabilities. For reader services, training on adaptive technology and other services, please contact the OSSD at (816) 235-5696.

---

Physical Access:

Low Energy Power Operated Doors are located at the east side (left side as you face the library) of the South (51st Street) Entrance and on the west side (only accessible by the ramp) of the North (Parking Lot) Entrance. Accessible parking is available in the parking lot north of the library. A public elevator is available for all floors of the library.

---

Services:

Research Assistance

The Reference Desk is open during library hours and has the primary responsibility for assisting patrons in using the MERLIN online catalog, indexes, electronic resources, the Internet, and other research materials located in the library. Ready reference assistance is available on an immediate basis; however, some research questions may require in-depth consultation that will be provided by appointment. To schedule an appointment for in-depth research assistance, please call the Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534. If you need assistance with reading or scanning of more than a couple pages, please contact the OSSD at (816) 235-5696.

Examples of Ready Reference:

Does the Miller Nichols Library own these two books?
I need to identify two or three scholarly articles in the field of social work.

Examples of In-Depth Reference:

I need to compile a legislative history of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I am doing a paper about whether there are long term psychological effects for women who had abortions. I want to know what the current research says about this topic.

---

Copy Services and Book Retrieval

All copying is done in the IKON Copy Services area on the first floor of the Library. The IKON location is just east of the Access Services desk and south of Government Documents. This service is handled by IKON and all printing is conducted through them. Library personnel will assist people with disabilities in retrieving and photocopying materials from the University Libraries collections. A copy card, available for purchase on site, is needed to activate the card-only copy machines. Any questions or special arrangements can be addressed by calling IKON Copy Services at (816) 235-1433. Please note that no coin-operated copy machines are available in the Miller Nichols Library.

---

Equipment:

Hardware

The Universal Access Workstations are located just to the left of the entrance to the Information Commons. The workstations are self-service and training is available in its use by calling OSSD at (816) 235-5696. The workstations are COMPAQ computers with ScanJet ADF Scanners and Enabling Technologies Juliet Pro Braille Embossors. Students can log onto these computers with their Single Signon Account ID and password. Braille embossing is generally free, but if a project will require printing braille of more than 20 pages, please check with the reference desk. In order to emboss text, the item needs to be in a PC Word or WordPerfect format. (We can not accommodate any Mac formats at this time.) As with all other workstations in the Information Commons, printing from the Universal Access Workstations are fee-based. A copy card, available for purchase on site, is needed to activate the card-only copy machines. Any questions or special arrangements can be addressed by calling IKON Copy Services at (816) 235-1433. Please note that no coin-operated copy machines are available in the Miller Nichols Library.

In addition to the Universal Access Workstations, we have an Aladdin Ambassador Pro Scanner Reader. This unit will scan, read and save to disk almost any text item. It cannot scan images. To use or to be trained to use the instrument, please check at the Reference Desk (816) 235-1534.

Just behind the Universal Access Workstations, is the CCTV (Closed Circuit TeleVision) unit. The Genie Pro unit, which enables comfortable viewing of documents for a wide variety of users, displays printed material in high-contrast black text on a white background and white text on a black background, with the option of twenty-four background/foreground color combinations. The user may display vertical or horizontal line markers and shadow mask to help track text and reduce glare. This system also features an extremely large depth of field for viewing three-dimensional objects and a smooth, non-glare reading table which allows reading heavy books.

At the Reference Desk is a TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) a typewriter-like machine that permits hearing- or speech-impaired persons to communicate by typing messages back and forth over telephone lines. The Relay Missouri TTY Relay Service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no extra charge for users for this service. To use this service, call toll-free: 1-800-735-2966 if you have TDD. If not, call 1-800-735-2466. See more information in the white pages of your Southwestern Bell White Pages directory.

Software

• Open Book Unbound:
  Windows environment talking software for scanning, reading, editing, printing, and downloading.
• Duxbury Braille Translation Software for Windows (Dbt-Win):
  A braille translation software that will translate computer editable text into braille.
• SUPERNOVA Reader/Magnifier
  A combined magnification and screen reading software in a Windows environment that is used in UMKC Student Microcomputer Labs.
• Window Eyes/Vocal Eyes:
  A stand alone talking software for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and DOS applications.
• ZoomText Xtra:
  A Windows environment software for integrated screen magnification.
• Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional:
  Windows environment software allowing large-vocabulary continuous-speech dictation for entering and revising text. This particular program requires 3 to 4 hours of training and licensing before it can be used. Please contact the OSSD at 235-5696, to inquire about this training.
• OMNI-PAGE PRO:
  A scanning application that converts printed text into computer-editable text.

---

Contacts:

Miller Nichols Reference Desk: (816) 235-1534
Office of Services for Students with Disabilities: (816) 235-5696

For further assistance, please inquire at the Reference desk.