University of Macedonia Library & Information Center Central Library Egnatias 156 P.O. 1591, 54006 Phone: (2310)891751-2 Fax: (2310)857794
Persons with Disabilities
The Library of the University of Macedonia based on the principles of providing equal access to the information, is the first Academic Library in Greece which has expanded its services to persons with disabilities...
Equipment for Persons with Disabilities
In the Library there is a specially designed room, which has modern working stations (PCs) with adaptive equipment for blind and partially sighted people.
Available Equipment and Sofware
2 PCs Pentium 4, one with 19' sct monitor and the other with 17' tft monitor. Both have CD-ROM drive and connection to the internet.
JAWS (for Windows). It 's a software with windows which reads the contents of the monitor guiding the user, with sound, for his actions.
Apollo II. Speech synthesis external unit.
Braille dispaly. Device which shows the characters of the monitor as Braille characters readable by touch.
Software of efficient enlargement of the Supernova 6 monitor with the screen reader Hal embodied, the Braille for the conversion of the text to Braille format and the voice composer Orpheus.
Book scanner and Optical Character Reading software (OCR)-Fine Reader 5, for the conversion of printed texts to electronic format.
Braille printer (Everest). The electronic texts can be printed in Braille format with the use of the specific printer of double side that the Library has.
Closed-circuit television -CCTV, Twinkle Bright. It's an item enlargement system which is intended for the users with partially / redused sight.
Touch-maps for persons with dissabilities
In the summer of 2004 the construction of touch-maps for visually impaired people was completed, in order to help them understand, have a good sense of direction and move more effectively in the University and in the Library area.
The aim of the touch-map construction is to facilitate the access of the visually impaired people to the basic public areas of the University and of the Library. Additionally, the mapping of the greater exterior area around the University was regarded as necessary so as to be more accessible.
This project has been accomplished within the framework of OPEIVT II (Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training)(3rd CSF / OPEIVT II / ACTION 2.1.3 d) with the title: Special mapping of the University of Macedonia .
Instructional material digitalisation
The Library of University of Macedonia aims to cover the educational needs of its' visually impaired students, by providing greek electronic content as an alternative form of printed instructional material. Priority has been given to the conversion of instructional handbooks to electronic format, through a program of digitisation and electronic filing of digitalised material, which is brought into effect in the framework of the OPEIVT II (Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training) (3rd CSF OPEIVT II / ACTION 2.1.3.d).
The access to the digitalised material is controled and it is allowed in specific persons. For more information please contact:
Anthi Baliou, Librarian, tel. 2310 891830
Panagiota Patragkou, Librarian, tel. 2310 891833
Guide of organisation library services to Visually Impaired People
"Training the Trainers Manual". It is compiled of 12 chapters, which include useful information about the organisation of the library services to Visually Impaired People. The manual is primarily addressed to Greek Librarians, but with small changes it can be used in other cases, when services for Visually Impaired people are developed for the first time. It is disposed in greek and in english language.
A detailed manual in english language under the title "Library services for visually impaired people: a manual of best practice", has been edited from the "The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries" and the "National Library for the Blind" of Great Britan.
Seminars for Librarians
The Library, in an effort to share its experience on the organisation of the Library services to V.I.P,, organizes on a regular basis seminars for the staff training of other Libraries.
Library Services 
