Support for people with disabilities

Panteion University Library seeks to be fully inclusive to all library users and strives to break down barriers to access and wants to ensure that all information resources are equally accessible to all users regardless of any physical or mental impairment they may have. To facilitate access the library is physically accessible, provides special equipment, and offers textbooks in accessible digital formats to users who are blind, have low vision or are otherwise disabled.

The availability of accessible materials is exclusively directed and access is provided only to eligible disabled users in accordance with Law 4672/2020, which exempts further reproduction of works from copyright ownership rights.

Assistive technologies:

Assistive technologies play an important role in equalizing opportunities for people with disabilities. At the library, we make every effort to ensure that all people have access to the building, the collections and the services according to their needs.

The library provides its users with the following software and devices. Some of them are about to be updated.

• Character Recognition Software (ABBYY Fine Reader v. 15.0)

• Screen Reading & Magnification Software (SuperNova Magnifier & ScreenReader)

• Text to Speech Software (TTS Reader)

• Daisy Audio Book Production Software (Dolphin Publisher)

• Daisy Digital Audio Book Reader (EasyReader)

• Screen Reader (JAWS)

• Text and Braille Printing Software (Duxbury Braille Translator)

• Tactile Graphics Software (PIAF/ZY-FUSE) Braille Embosser)

• Hearing Aid Support Set (Phonak Roger MyLink & Touchscreen Mic)

• Amplified hearing aid system (GeeMark LoopHear LH150)

Accessible Multi-modal Electronic Library of Greece

AMELib is a multi-purpose digital library designed exclusively for certified print disabled users. Its purpose is to provide accessible books in digital format upon request to its users and is one of the digital services of the Association of Greek Academic Libraries (S.E.A.B.). The digital library holds a collection of Greek academic textbooks as well as open-access resources provided by their owners for this purpose.

The AMELib collection includes 2668 digital books and is constantly expanding and offers resources in various accessible formats like PDFs (pdf), Word documents (docx), e-books (DAISY, ePUB) and audiobooks (mp3, wav).

AMELIB and ABC

AMELib has enriched the catalog with 1,000,000 accessible formats in many different languages, by participating in the ABC (Accessible Books Consortium) World Electronic Book Catalog.

ABC is a database of authorized users who can search accessible digital books, managed by the Word Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Production of accessible academic publications

The Library produces publications in the accessible format that is best suited to each user’s needs. To achieve the conversion from print or electronic to an accessible format we follow and adopt specific international standards that the Consortium has carefully studied, selected and adopted. The produced accessible format does not alter the content of the publications, except in cases of a necessary verbal description of images, tables and page layouts.

Volunteers

The library has made an open call to students and members of the academic community to participate in volunteering in the AMELib team as another student activity. Volunteers are trained in the production of accessible digital books. The working hours are flexible and can be adjusted to the volunteer’s schedule.

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Support of social welfare interventions of students of Panteion University

Contact Accessibility Desk

Elvira Bogiatzi, el.bogiatzi@panteion.gr, +30 210 9201396