The University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries aim to provide equitable access to library resources and services offered to students, staff, and faculty.
We are committed to providing support and accommodations in accordance with accessibility standards and responding to user feedback to the best of our abilities. Supports and accommodations offered on this page are available to all students, staff, and faculty. While the library aims to support community patrons to the best of our abilities as well, some services and resources are only available to affiliates of the University. Visitors in need of support and/or accommodations should reach out prior to their visit via the contact information below.
Contact & Accessibility Support
Phone: (816) 235-1526
Email: circulation@umkc.edu or use our online library accessibility form
For phone calls for deaf or hearing-impaired patrons, The library accepts calls through the National Relay Service (711) and the Missouri Relay Service at 800-735-2966.
For accessibility at the Health Sciences Library, consult the Health Sciences Library Accessibility page. For non-library university accommodations and services please consult the Accessibility at UMKC and Student Accessibility Services pages.
Physical Spaces
Visual maps and text descriptions of each floor at Miller Nichols Library available on the Floor Plan page.
Accessible Parking
Accessible parking is available to the north of the building. Consult UMKC Parking for additional information.
Restrooms
Accessible restrooms are located on every floor of the library.
Elevators
Three elevators are available for all floors of the building. There is no fourth floor access between the library and learning center. You will need to go to the third floor to traverse between the library and the learning center and then take the elevator up to your fourth floor destination.
Entrances
The north library entrance, south entrance and west entrance are equipped with power-operated doors and access ramps. The north learning center entrance lacks an access ramp.
Study Areas & Quiet Spaces
The second floor of the library is reserved for silent study. In addition, study tables, carrels, and lounge areas are available on all floors of the library. Many study rooms can be reserved in advance, and some have the ability to close a door and/or turn off or dim lights.
Assistive Technology
The Miller Nichols Library has two workstations located on the first floor, east of the central stairwell, that are reserved for priority use by students, faculty, or staff with disabilities. Priority use and availability of accessibility software is indicated through signage on the tables at these stations, but if you have any trouble locating them feel free to request that the service desk show you where they are.
Hardware
- 22 inch widescreen monitors
- Scanner with automatic document feeder
- Height adjustable table
- High contrast keyboard
Software
- JAWS screen reader
- Window Eyes screen reader
- ZoomText screen magnifier
- HP PrecisionScan Pro scanning software
- OmniPage Pro OCR converts scanned text into computer-editable text.
Library Collections
Retrieving Physical Library Materials
While library stacks have been configured to be accessible, library personnel can retrieve materials upon request. If requesting many items, advanced notice is recommended. Books from UMKC requested directly through the library catalog are usually ready for pick up by the next afternoon (excluding weekends).
Proxy Accounts
A Proxy Account will allow you to grant any other person temporary access to your library account on your behalf. This is only offered to students who have established an accommodation plan with Roo Wellness Student Accessibility Services.
- Contact Roo Wellness Student Accessibility Services at (816) 235-5612 to establish an accommodation plan.
- Register for a library Proxy Account.
Scanners
Scanners are located on the ground and first floors of the library. At each location, there is a scanner with an adjustable-height table. Scanners support Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to make scanned text accessible for screen reader technology.
Digital Library Materials
Most library digital content is provided by third-party vendors. The library reviews product accessibility features and this factors into our purchasing decisions.
- If you find library digital content that does not meet your needs, use our online library accessibility form to report it to the library.
- EBSCO can offer a DRM-free copy of an eBook or a remediated article upon request if you find that it lacks adequate accessibility features. The item must be within an EBSCO collection and must be owned by us, UMKC Libraries. The request form can be accessed by clicking on the accessibility icon in the toolbar when viewing the the article or eBook in an EBSCO database.
Website
The library is committed to making its website and online resources accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities. If you find website content that does not meet your needs, use our online library accessibility form to report it to the library.
Library Services
Interlibrary Loan
Individuals can request accessible versions of journal articles and book chapters when submitting an interlibrary loan request. These materials may require remediation to make accessible, resulting in a delay in delivery to the individual.
Library Events
In person library events are planned according to best practices for physical, visual, and audio accessibility. Virtual events employ all available accessibility features. Contact UMKC Libraries Administrative Services at LibraryAdmin@umkc.edu or (816) 235-1531 one week prior to the event to request an accommodation.
Library Instruction
In addition to individual instruction and research consultations, the library offers instruction sessions to entire classes. Miller Nichols Library’s main classroom Room 121, has a workstation with an adjustable table to accommodate students who use wheelchairs. If you are coming to the library with your class and have specific needs, please feel free to contact the library or ask your instructor to contact the librarian teaching your class.
Special Collections & Archives
We are committed to making our archival finding aids and digital assets accessible to all users. We provide accessibility remediation for any digital materials in our archives upon request. To request an accessible copy of a document, please contact specialcollections@umkc.edu. Remediation of complex historical materials may take additional time, though we will work with you to provide the materials as promptly as possible.
