Dear colleagues
We had this request come to the TechDis helpdesk recently. We've been able to provide some guidance for them on accessible practices but what they are really looking for is partner organisations to allow them to bid for funding. I know there are many on the lists who have similar ambitions for accessibility so if you are looking for a European partner here's a starting point. Please contact Mihaela directly for more information. - [log in to unmask]


Dear Madam/Sir,

My name is Mihaela Manolescu and I work in the Central Library of the
"Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu (Web : http://bcu.ulbsibiu.ro<http://bcu.ulbsibiu.ro/>),  the
International Relations department.

As we had a wonderful cooperation within the Europeana Libraries and now
the Europeanha Cloud projects, Ms. Loise Edwards encouraged me to write you
about our latest concern

As our library is continuously trying to offer our users the best and most
modern conditions, we intend to set up an
information-documentation-research center/laboratory for the blind persons.
We are thinking of everything this thing implies : equipments, soft,
braille-documents, e-books, the e-learning paltform and of course,
*the qualified staff, a programme that includes the instruction/training of the trainors,
because we aim at developping the human resource in the library*.  We are
looking for libraries  interested and willing to
work together with libraries in Romania, who want to put up this
domain less explored.

Our aim is providing access to information and documents for persons with
visual disabilities .

We should very much want all our users to engage in activities that we
organize in the library (debates, conferences, lecture series, etc..), They
could talk about the same books at the same time, connect to the Internet
by visiting the same website social networking sites.

We think :
- To provide the users with visual disabilities the publications the
library has,  tailored to their needs of reading.
- To facilitate their access to various areas of knowledge, browsing, and
timely information on current events;
- To contribute to their integration in the cultural and educational
 employment.
-To put in place a set of tools to provide the basic training of the users

By:
- Relief plans of the building ;
- Screen readers - software rendering the voice, in several languages, the
information displayed on a computer monitor
- Screen magnifications - a software that displays, enlarged or using
different contrasts, the information on the computer's monitor;
- CCTV - standalone device, that allows the display of any type of document
printed on a screen, enlarged or using different colors and color contrasts;
- Scanning and playback devices (voice or enlarged)of the  printed
documents;
- Braille printer;
- Devices for reading books in DAISY format;
- As well as a significant collection of eBooks and audiobooks.

With these technologies, accessible information can be found in various
fields,  while browsing the internet and also  timely information on
current events.
We want people with disabilities to have access to all the existing spaces
of the library, not to be isolated in places especially created for them.
In addition, we should also provide assistance to the libraries who wish to
make their collections and services available, schools tghat have
integrated or plan to integrate people with visual disabilities, potential
employers and all those who want to know more about the ways of
accessibility.

We should very much like to set up a partnership in order to have access to
EU funds necessary for the equipments and training, because the expenses
for such an important action are far beyond our financial possibilities.

What do you think?   Any sugestion/help/cooperation concerning the above
mentioned would be much appreciated. Thank you very much for your time.

I am looking forward to receiving your answer,
Mihaela Manolescu
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