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Event

Literacy Beyond Print: Accessible Reading, Tech and Graphics at the NYPL

2025-10-07 – 2025-10-08 Meetup Visit website ↗

Activities tracked

1

This event will be online at YouTube and in-person. The speaker and live stream starts at 7:30 pm ET. In-person attendees may arrive as early as 7 pm ET. If arriving late, please leave a comment on this page and someone will come down ASAP.

Important note Google Maps currently incorrectly pins the location around the corner on Crosby Street. The entrance is not on Crosby. The entrance is on Spring Street, inside the Marc Jacobs International building. It is roughly halfway between Crosby and Lafayette, almost directly across Spring Street from the Chipotle restaurant.

Description The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book branch offers New Yorkers who are Blind, low-vision, or have other disabilities impacting print reading a world of literacy options. Find out about their free loan of digital Braille ereaders, their new and improved talking book players, tech and arts programming, and their Dimensions lab for the creation of tactile graphics and 3D models.

Attendees will learn:

  • How New Yorkers, and people with print disabilities nationwide, can access accessible Braille, audio, and magnified books and periodicals for free.
  • How the branch provides free peer-powered tech coaching with accessibility in mind.
  • How our new Braille ereaders are supporting Braille literacy.
  • How we can help with making Braille materials like brochures and business cards, without a big budget.
  • How you can get started with learning about and making tactile graphics at the library.

Presenter bio Chancey Fleet is the Assistive Technology Coordinator, and Shane Smith is the Managing Librarian, at NYPL'S Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book branch.

Accessibility The presentation will have human captions [CC], not automatic captions. For ASL preferred speakers, learn about the Aira ASL App, and download it before the event.

For the Blind and Low Vision community, learn about the Aira Explorer App and download it before the event.

To access the online webinar for audio description, use the A11yNYC Access Offer to call, or simply inform your Visual Interpreter that you'd like that offer applied when you connect.

For additional accessibility requirements, please email [email protected] two weeks before the event.

Livestream View on YouTube

Provided by Internet Society Accessibility SIG.

Location details The event is on the 4th floor. Everyone must be accompanied to the event on the 4th floor. Because everyone needs to be escorted, please arrive early or on time. When you enter the ground floor, a representative from A11yNYC will be there to provide elevator access.

Attendees can enter on the third floor and go up the staircase, or request accommodation to go directly to the 4th floor. Thanks to Ben Ogilvie for making this possible! Let us know if you're coming!

The building is near several transit stops: 6 train

  • Spring Street (non-accessible stop): 100 feet
  • Canal Street (accessible stop): 0.4 miles

NQRW trains

  • Prince Street (non-accessible stop): 0.2 miles
  • Canal Street (accessible stop): 0.3 miles

M1 / M55 Bus lines

  • Broadway/Spring Street stop: 500 feet

Cabs and rideshares can let passengers out right near the building entrance

Accreditation All A11yNYC meetups are pre-approved for IAAP Continuing Accessibility Education Credits (CAEC).

Sponsors Thanks to AKQA, Deque, Evinced, Equal Entry, and Fable for sponsoring. Want to be a sponsor? Contact [email protected]

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Overview of NYPL Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book services

2025-10-07
talk
Chancey Fleet (NYPL's Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book branch) , Shane Smith (NYPL's Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book branch)

Presentation about NYPL's Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book branch, covering free access to accessible Braille, audio, and magnified books, free peer-powered tech coaching, Braille ereaders, and tactile graphics creation and support for accessible materials.