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Information for Persons with Disabilities

UAB Libraries welcomes all patrons and is committed to providing everyone accessibility to Library materials, programs, and services. Each library facility makes every effort to accommodate requests from persons with disabilities. If you are a UAB student, you may wish to register with Disability Support Services at 205.934.4205 or 205.934.4248 (TDD).

Facility Accessibility

Sterne Library
The Mervyn H. Sterne Library may be reached by a ramp located at the Thirteenth Street South entrance, from the Fourteenth Street sidewalk, or by an elevator located in the Education Building. Both Library entrances have automatic doors. Inside the Library, all three floors may be reached by an elevator in the center of the building. Handicap-accessible restrooms are on all three floors to the right and the left of the central elevators.

Lister Hill Library
The library’s entrance is on University Boulevard. A ramp leads to the lobby at street level. An elevator is available to access the library entrance on the first floor. A short-term, metered, handicapped parking space is available in front of the building on University Blvd. Doors leading to the lobby and to the interior of the library are operated by remote door openers. For each door, push the blue button to open the door with the blue sticker. At the Library entrance, the remote door is not the entrance door, but the exit door. All floors of the Library are accessible by elevators located inside the Library. The elevator in the lobby area provides access to other floors in the building. There are wheelchair accessible restrooms on each floor. On 7th Avenue, at the rear of the building, patrons with disabilities can access the library by using the phone to call for assistance with entering the staff elevator lobby.

Parking

Handicap public and student parking spaces are available near the Mervyn H. Sterne Library. Student parking requires a permit. One metered, handicapped parking space is also located near Lister Library on 7th Avenue behind the School of Optometry. More information on registering for a UAB handicap space is on the Parking and Transportation website.

Adaptive Technologies

Sterne Library
The Sterne Library has two adaptive workstations, equipped with several technologies, on the first floor. Instructions for using the technologies are next to the workstations or can be requested at the Sterne HUB service desk. Headsets are also located at the HUB.

The following are adaptive technologies available at Sterne Library:

  • Dragon Speech Recognition
    Dragon enables students to talk to their computers and watch their spoken words appear with up to 99% accuracy.
  • JAWS (Job Access with Speech) for Windows
    A complete screen-reading program allowing efficient access to the Windows desktop and to all standard applications, including the Internet.
  • Kurzweil Speech to Text
    A text-to-speech reading software program to support students across disciplines in reading, writing, and test-taking accommodations.
  • Open Book
    An Optical Character Recognition (OCR) program that enables access to printed materials. It works in conjunction with the scanner and reads back scanned materials.
  • Zoomtext
    A sophisticated, yet simple, screen magnification product with some speech output, if desired. Sterne Library has two adaptive workstations.
  • Alt Tag
    An HTML attribute specified in the IMG tag to provide alternate text when an image on a Web page cannot be displayed.

Computers and Printers

Most computers in Sterne Library are of ADA-compliant height and require users to log in with a BlazerID and password. Wireless for all users is available through the UABStartHere network. UAB students, faculty, and staff should use the UABSecure network. If you require assistance using the printers, ask at the Sterne HUB. If needed, you may pick up your printouts at a later time.

Carrels

Wheelchair-accessible carrels are available on the second and third floors for short- or long-term checkout. Carrels can be checked out for three-hour periods at the HUB with a valid BlazerID. To apply for a long-term carrel, you will need to complete an application and take it to the HUB.

Staff Assistance

UAB Libraries staff is available to assist you in-person at one of the library facilities, through the Ask a Librarian chat system, by email, or by phone. For in-person assistance, please contact us in advance of your visit, if possible, to ensure that we can arrange for the most effective assistance. If you are unable to contact the library beforehand, we ask for your patience as we try to respond quickly and effectively to your unique requests. Be assured that library staff members are committed to making our resources available and accessible to you.

Available assistance includes:

  • Retrieving materials
  • Completing library forms
  • Making photocopies
  • Adjusting the font size for easier viewing on computer screens in most applications.
  • Enlargements on library photocopiers (available at no extra charge)
  • Closed captioning on televisions

There is a handheld magnifying glass available in Lister Hill Library at the HUB. Additionally, some resources are also available for users with low literacy skills.

Hearing Impaired Services

Hearing impaired patrons can contact the library through the state relay number. Relay service is an operator that serves as a liaison between a hearing caller and hearing impaired caller. The Alabama Relay Center number is 1.800.548.2546.

Retrieving Materials

If you need assistance in retrieving materials, please contact Sterne Library’s Circulation staff at 205.934.4338 of the Lister Hill Library Circulation staff at 205.934.3306. Permissions for an assistant to access library materials for a patron is available. Please contact us for more information about this service.

UAB Libraries also has an Interlibrary Loan service which allows patrons to request materials from one library be sent to another library. You must be UAB faculty, staff, or student to use the Interlibrary Loan service.

UAB Resources

Students may also contact UAB Disability Support Services at 205.934.4205 (voice) or 205.934.4248 (TDD).

UAB employees may contact UAB HR's AWARE Program at 205.975.9973.

Suggestions? The library staff welcomes suggestions of other services, facilities, or resources that would help you use our library. Visit the Help page for ways to submit comments or suggestions, and other ways to contact us.

Emergency Evacuation

In case of fire, staff will offer to assist disabled patrons. If it is impossible for a patron to leave or be assisted out of the building, that patron should move to the emergency stairwells in the north wing of the building. The emergency stairwells are fire safe up to ninety minutes. The situation will be reported to the Director and to a member of the fire or police department.