Statewide access to library materials for the blind and visually impaired, or those certified as unable to read normal print, is provided by the Braille and Talking Book Library at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown and the Talking Book Library at the Worcester Public Library. Perkins serves patrons in eastern and western Massachusetts, and Worcester serves patrons in central Massachusetts. Both libraries receive funding for statewide services from the MBLC.
MBLC staff provide consultation and technical assistance to help libraries assess the needs of their communities to develop or improve targeted initiatives to break down barriers and provide fully accessible resources and services. Many libraries throughout the Commonwealth are designated access centers and offer special assistive aids and technology, such as screen readers, assistive listening systems, mobility devices, and speech recognition software.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”