Perry Library: Students with Disabilities

We are pleased to able to reinstate the following services:

Due to the current COVID situation, the number of visitors to the Perry Library has been limited to maintain a safe and socially-distanced learning space. 
With the building safety measures in place, access to the assistive technology rooms has been restricted.

Our opening hours are currently Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm only.

We have two rooms available for booking on 1 East and 3 East(Assistive Technology room 2).
Only one person will be able to book each of these assistive technology rooms per day, you are able to use the room for the whole time the building is open.
Assistive Technology Room slots are available for LSBU students registered with Disability and Dyslexia Support only. Bookings will be moderated before being approved.

Book a Study Space

Please see the information about Your Responsibility whilst attending the Library on our Reduced Services page.

We can copy journal articles or sections from books for you. We will send them to you by post or email. To request your copies please use our  photocopying and scanning request form

If a book or other item is available to be borrowed in the library then we can send it to you by post. There is a charge for each item we send. To request a book or other item please use our  postal loan request form

We can fetch books and other items from our shelves and keep them on the hold shelf at Perry Library for you to collect. We will keep them for up to a week. To request books to be kept for you please use our put aside request form

Please see the information on our Reduced Services page.

If you need any assistance with any of the above, please contact us: 

 email at library@lsbu.ac.uk 

 phone on 020 7815 6678

Do you need to contact the Disability and Dyslexia Support team (DDS)?

If you want to declare a disability or discuss the support that might be available to you, get in touch with the LSBU Disability & Dyslexia Support team:

Online: Disability & Dyslexia Support

​ Email: disability@lsbu.ac.uk

or find them at the Student Life Centre help desk in the Student Centre

Would you like ClaroRead or MindManager Online Training?

We now provide online training to help you get started using ClaroRead Plus or MindManager using Microsoft Teams.

These sessions will last one hour.

If you are interested please contact us:   

Email: library@lsbu.ac.uk
Subject: ClaroRead training or MindManager training
Include: Student ID number

You will receive a response to your request within one working day.

To do the training you will need to have the software installed on your computer.  Please see ClaroRead Plus and MindManager boxes below for download and installation instructions.

Microsoft Teams will be used to deliver this training.  You can find information on how to access Microsoft Teams and a quick start guide here:  Software for Home Working

Please note: It may also be possible to provide some advice on the use of other assistive software such as Dragon.  However this will be at the discretion of the trainer and will depend on our familiarity with the software you are using.

Do you need help with e-books?

Some of our e-book platforms have extra accessibility functions.

If you have a specific query with regards to accessing e-books, please email askalibrarian@lsbu.ac.uk.

If you would like help searching for or reading e-books or just want to become more familiar with them, you can book a 1:1 appointment with a librarian.

Would MindManager mind mapping software help you?

Mind mapping package with many uses; planning assignments and projects, exam preparation, collaborative working.
Available to download and use on your own PC or laptop.

Click here to download MindManager.

Are you a current student or are you thinking about coming to LSBU next year?  

For more information and links to other videos and resources, visit the British Assistive Technology Association website.

Did you know you can alter the Accessibility Options on your Windows PC?

Did you know that in Windows 10 you can make onscreen text bigger and brighter? 

Did you know that you can change the mouse pointer and the cursor size? 

Have you heard of the Ease of Access Centre? 

You can find the Ease of Access Centre in Settings in Windows 10.  There you will find these tools and other options – magnify all or part of the screen, try different colour filters or high-contrast schemes, use Windows Narrator to have things read out to you. 

We can provide advice and introductory training on these accessibility tools, just ask at the help desk about booking an appointment.  You can also email us at library@lsbu.ac.uk

Visit this useful Youtube playlist for information on some of these tools

Do you need more accessibility tools on your PC? Have a look at these free online resources

Alongside the accessibility software installed on the library PCs that we support there are a number of external free apps, add ons and resources online that can help study and aid productivity that you might find useful.*

*Please note these are just suggestions and are not applications supported by either Student IT Support or IT Services .

These apps can help you to:

Google offers a number of free Chrome add-ons that help you get organised, view your device how you want it. There are apps that can help you speed read such as Spreed

Applevis is a community powered website for blind and low vision users of apple products. As well as directing users to a range of apps it offers resources and mechanisms for raising awareness of the accessibility of Apple products and related applications, and for promoting further advancement in accessibility.

 My Computer My Way offers a variety of ways that you can alter your devices settings to increase their  accessibility and functionality.

  Audacity is free open source software that allows you to record and edit audio files.

 You may find working in silence or the ambient sounds of a study area distracting, some people can find listening to white, pink or brown noise can help them to mask external distractions and concentrate. This app provides a range of different sounds including rainfall, birdsong, cafe chatter as well as pink, brown and white noise generators.

 The RNIB is a charity that helps support people with sight loss they have an excellent beginners guide to using assistive technology for those with visual impairments

Action on hearing loss provides support for people with hearing loss they have an extensive list of apps that can help you navigate the environment around you. Braci can record sounds in your environment and gives alerts on your smart phone when it recognises them. Let me hear again, can convert speech to text and text to speech.

Microsoft Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed for the low vision community, this research project harnesses the power of AI to describe people, text and objects

The facilities and service below are currently unavailable due to COVID-19 closure of campus libraries

Would you like help with Assistive Technology?
This service is currently unavailable

If you would like any assistance with equipment or software in our Assistive Technology Rooms (ATR) please ask at our help desks on 1 East or 1 West.

We also offer one-to-one introductory training sessions for the software in the ATR. Enquire at our help desks and someone will contact your to arrange a convenient time.

Do you know about our Assistive Technology Rooms?

These rooms are currently unavailable

Eligibility and locations:

We have 4 Assistive Technology Rooms in the Perry Library

Rooms 1 and 2 on Level 3 East  These rooms are only bookable by those students who the DDS team have specifically requested to be allowed to use them. If you think you should be eligible to use these rooms but do not currently have access, please enquire with the University DDS team in the Student Centre
Rooms 3 and 4 on Level 1 West  These rooms can be booked by any student who is registered for support with the University DDS team

Do you want to know what Assistive Technology software is available on Campus?

Assistive Technology Rooms are currently unavailable

You can find out more about our services for students registered with the LSBU Disability & Dyslexia Support team on our Students with Disabilities page

Two Assistive technology rooms on Level 3 East and a further two rooms on level 1 West of the Perry Library are reserved for students registered with DDS and who have been assessed as needing this provision. If you think you would benefit by having access to these rooms please contact the DDS team to discuss.

Your ID card should give you access to the rooms. If there is a problem with your card please contact the Student Life Centre help desk.

You can arrange for someone to pick up and return items for you. They will need to bring your ID card, proof of their own identity, and a letter from you saying that they have permission to use your card.

We are also happy to come with you to look for books and other items in the library. Just ask at the help desk.

If you need a helper or support worker to accompany you when using the library then please contact the University DDS team via the Student Life Centre to discuss how best this can be arranged for you 

We can copy journal articles or sections from books for you. You can pick up the copies at the library or we can send them to you by post or email. To request your copies please use our  photocopying and scanning request form

• Online Educational Platform – over 400,000 books
• Access books in a range of formats – Word, PDF, MP3, Braille
• For full details email askalibrarian@lsbu.ac.uk

If a book or other item is available to be borrowed in the library then we can send it to you by post. There is a charge for each item we send. To request a book or other item please use our  postal loan request form

We can fetch books and other items from our shelves and keep them on the hold shelf at Perry Library for you to collect. We will keep them for up to a week. To request books to be kept for you please use our put aside request form

The Perry Library has a DaVinci magnifier which can magnify books, change the colour and contrast of the text and background, and read printed text out loud.

The Help Desk on Level 1 East can supply coloured page overlays free of charge.

We would like to assist you in any way we can. You can contact us by email at library@lsbu.ac.uk, by phone on 020 7815 6607 or in person at our help points in the Perry Library.

Do you think you might have a "Specific Learning Difference"?

Screening assessments are currently unavailable.
Please contact the University Disability and Dyslexia Team for further information

Do you think you may have a specific learning difference (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia?  Are you having difficulties with your studies?

The Disability and Dyslexia Service (DDS) offer free, confidential screening throughout the year.

The booklet below, produced by DDS team, is a step-by-step guide to the screening process.

Would you like to book an Assistive Technology Room?

Assistive Technology Rooms are currently unavailable

Book Here

See help sheet below for further information or ask at one of our Library Help Desks.