Accessible Resources
At Milton Public Library, we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where all members of our community can fully access and enjoy our facilities, programs, collections, and services. We continuously strive to identify and remove barriers, ensuring that everyone—regardless of age, ability, or background—feels empowered to engage, learn, and connect through all that our library has to offer.
Do you have any suggestion to improve accessibility at the library and make our spaces and services more inclusive? Click the button below to complete a form and we’d love to look into them.
Accessible Building Features
Main, Beaty and Sherwood Library facilities have the following accessibility features:
- Service desks have at least one section accessible to persons who use a wheelchair or scooter. This section is no more than 28″ above the ground and has knee space and open space around it to maneuver.
- Self-checkout kiosks are wheelchair accessible for those who want to use them.
- The two storey Main Library has an elevator. Beaty Branch and Sherwood Branch are all on one level.
- Book drops are accessible height and are operable using one hand.
- Clearances between and at the end of the stacks are enough to accommodate a wheelchair or scooter (43.25″).
Programs and Collections
For Children and Teens
We strive to create a welcoming space for children and teens of all abilities. Our programs and resources include:
- Sensory Storytimes – Engaging, interactive sessions designed for children with sensory processing challenges.
- Sensory Kits – Available for both in-library use and borrowing, these kits support sensory engagement and exploration.
- Neurodivergent Programming (Coming Spring 2025) – In partnership with Kerry’s Place and ROCK, we will be offering programs designed for neurodivergent children and their families.
For Adults
We offer a variety of programs that support cognitive and sensory needs:
General Accessibility Programs:
- Community Living: Brushstrokes and Books – A creative and literary experience.
- Celebrate the Spectrum – A program dedicated to embracing neurodiversity.
- Dear Inner Child… Journaling Workshop – A guided journaling experience for self-reflection.
- Restorative Meditation – A mindfulness program designed to promote relaxation and well-being.
- Stop Motion Workshop for Teens and Young Adults (more details to follow) – A creative, hands-on workshop for individuals on the autism spectrum.
- Caring with Confidence: Dementia Education Workshop – A program offering guidance and education for caregivers and individuals affected by dementia.
Collections and Online Resources
Milton Public Library offers specialized collections and digital resources to support accessibility:
- Sensory Kits – Designed to support sensory engagement and exploration
- Cognitive Care Kits – Tailored for cognitive stimulation.
- Wonderbooks – Audio-enabled books that support independent reading. Explore the collection
- American Sign Language (ASL) Learning:
- Transparent Languages – Offers a comprehensive ASL course covering fingerspelling, over 1,000 sign videos, sentence structure, and Deaf culture facts. This 60-hour course is designed to build a solid foundation in ASL and Deaf culture.
- Gale Courses – Provides instructor-led online courses, including “Discover Sign Language,” which introduces learners to the basics of ASL, including signing the alphabet, numbers, and common phrases
- Homebound Services – We provide delivery services for individuals who are unable to visit the library due to physical limitations. Learn more
Interpreter Services at Milton Public Library
Milton Public Library is pleased to offer interpreter services for programs in partnership with Canadian Hearing Services. These services ensure that Deaf and Hard of Hearing community members can fully participate in library events and programs. To request an interpreter for an upcoming program, please contact the library in advance to make arrangements.
Accessible Formats
Many of the resources available at the Milton Public Library are suited to accessibility needs.
- Books on CD
- Downloadable E-audiobooks
- Downloadable E-books. The settings can be adjusted with the majority of our downloadable e-books to suit personal preferences for text size and typeface
Large Print books.
- Many DVDs have the sub-title option
- Many of our databases, such as Gale Infotrac, PebbleGo, Early World of Learning, TumbleBooks, and TumbleReadables, offer text to speech capability
- Many online videos have captions and / or transcripts
The Milton Public Library is proud to support MagnusCards, a free app created specifically for those living with autism. MagnusCards combines structured, step-by-step guidance with game design to help teach a variety of life skills through free downloadable Cards Decks. As part of our support, Milton Public Library has funded unique Card Decks that will help those with autism or other cognitive special needs feel welcomed and empowered when using the library.
This unique app helps family and friends to prepare for community outings, practice skills and routines, manage tasks with less anxiety, and explore community environments with greater independence. Milton Public Library developed five different Card Decks for its custom app, including:
- Registering for a library card
- Using the library catalogue
- Finding library items
- Using self check-out to borrow library items
- Returning a library item.
Accessible Equipment
The Library has equipment that can assist patrons who have low vision or have a hearing impairment, including:
- Enhanced Reader
- Large type keyboards are available
- TTY telephone
Open Library’s Accessible Books Collection
MPL has partnered with the Internet Archive to provide free books for the people with print disabilities that impact reading. If you have a disability that interferes with reading printed text then all of these books can be instantaneously available in your browser or via protected download once you become a qualified user.
Qualified users may borrow special formats of books from the Internet Archive collection of books for the print-disabled for up to 14 days. At the end of the 14 days, the qualified user may renew. To contrast, non-qualified users may not have any access to a particular book, only get particular formats, or have to join the waitlist to access material that is already lent out. Qualified users would not have to wait.
- First, you will need to create an account with Internet Archive. Visit this page to make your free account. Please note that your username will be publicly visible.
- Once you have created your Internet Archive account you will need to fill out this application form. Once you submit the form an MPL staff member will contact you within five (5) business days.
Visit this page to see MPL’s collection of accessible materials. Once you see something you’d like to borrow you can log in to your account using the button in the upper right corner and then borrow the item. This help page has more detailed instructions.
Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) Collection
Do you have difficulty reading print due to a visual, physical or learning disability? Then the Milton Public Library can help you get reading materials in many different formats.
- Milton Public Library partners with the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) to provide additionally accessible collections to customers with print disabilities and professionals who work with people with print disabilities.
- As a CELA member, you can borrow accessible audiobooks, Braille and print-Braille books, and audio versions of a wide range of magazines and newspapers. Many of these can be mailed directly to you at home.
- As a CELA member, you can also register for BookShare, an online service with thousands of accessible books.
Questions
The CELA collection is available to library customers with a print disability as defined in section 32 of the Canadian Copyright Act:
- Learning Disability: an impairment relating to comprehension.
- Physical Disability:the inability to hold or manipulate a book.
- Visual Disability: severe or total impairment of sight or the inability to focus or move one’s eyes.
- Educators: educators and other professionals who work with people with print disabilities.
CELA has a growing collection of 700,000 items for all ages, including:
- Newspapers, Magazines, Books.
- Audio, e-Audio, eText, braille, print braille, e-braille
- English and French with some other languages.
- Bookshare, a US-based accessible online library for people with print disabilities.
Search or browse the collection on the CELA website
There are several delivery options:
- Online and download: read newspapers online and download books and magazines to your computer or mobile device
- Download without a computer: download books and magazines directly to an internet-enabled DAISY player over a wireless connection
Self-register on the CELA website
You need a Milton Public Library Card to register with CELA.
