Accessibility

Kelly Library staff want to make the building and its facilities and services as easy as possible for everyone to access. Please contact us with any concerns at kelly.library@utoronto.ca.

At the west side of the Kelly Library (closer to Queen’s Park) there is a slight inclined ramp from street level to the raised platform in front of the library; the Kelly Library entrance is at the same level as the raised platform. There is a power-assisted door with a push-plate to enter the lobby of the building, and another power-assisted door with a push-plate between the lobby and the library itself. To leave the library through the power-assisted door patrons must ask a staff person at the Circulation Desk to remotely open it.

There are two elevators which go from the ground floor to the second, third and fourth floors. No elevator button is higher than 126 cm above the floor; all have braille characters. There is an audio announcement when the elevator door opens at each floor.

There are two gender-neutral accessible washrooms on the east side of the ground floor of the Kelly Library: one in the Kelly Café, the other near the DVD section. The doors are opened and locked with a push button. The overhead lights, toilet flushing, soap dispenser, water tap, and hand drier are all operated by motion sensor. There is a grab bar next to the toilet.

There is one computer workstation on the ground floor of the Kelly Library which has a desktop 76 cm above the floor; most computer workstations in the library have a desktop 71 cm above the floor. Almost all computers in the library are equipped with magnification software; many also have text narration software.

The aisles between book shelves on the second and third floors are almost all at least 90 cm wide. There are a small number of aisles which are narrower, occasionally as little as 77 cm wide. The book stacks are over two metres high. Books are shelved at all levels including the top and bottom shelves. There are a number of rolling step stools in the stacks.

Kelly Library staff are happy to assist patrons who have special needs by looking up titles in the library catalogue, retrieving materials from the stacks, and helping with signing materials out from the library. Patrons who need assistance should identify themselves to staff at the Loans & Information Desk.

The library has one accessible computer workstation on the ground floor. Using a button, you can raise or lower the desk surface.