Cleveland Health Sciences Library (CHSL) is committed to providing all members of the CWRU community with equitable access to library resources, services, and facilities.

Facilities

ALLEN MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Spaces

The Allen Memorial Library is an historic landmark building built in 1925. The library (located on the 2^nd floor) and all-gender bathroom (basement level) are accessible via elevator and are ADA compliant. The Adelbert Road entrance is accessible via a ramp.

Allen Memorial Library's stacks--which are not ADA compliant--are now closed to patron browsing, but library staff can retrieve materials for patrons in person or by prior arrangement.

Parking and Transportation

Parking locations near the Allen Memorial Library include street parking on East Boulevard (metered) and Lot 29 (11172 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106). See Access Services for more information about campus parking and accessible campus shuttle routes. There are also a number of accessible public transit options that stop near the Allen Memorial Library.

HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPUS

Spaces

All HEC spaces, including entrances, elevators, seating, and bathrooms–including all-gender bathrooms–are ADA compliant.

Parking and Transportation

Visitor parking is available in the JJ Parking Garage (1956 E. 93^rd St., Cleveland, OH 44106). See Access Services for more information about campus parking and accessible campus shuttle routes. There are also a number of accessible public transit options that stop near the HEC.

Technology

Accessibility Features on Mac and Windows

Find information here about the built-in accessibility features on Mac and Windows.

Assistive Technologies

Read & Write Gold, available for free download at the Software Center, can read aloud text in documents, PDFs, and web pages. It also has a speech-to-text feature that turns spoken words into written words. For more information about Read & Write Gold, please see its list of features and of text-to-speech commands.

MathType, available for free download at the Software Center, allows for the creation of mathematical notation for inclusion in desktop and web applications. It supports the math markup languages TeX, LaTeX, and MathML.

CWRU offers additional assistive technologies (ATs) to students who meet with Disability Resources and are approved for accommodations. These technologies include but are not limited to: JAWS Reading Software (screen-reader software), E-Text/EPub Textbooks (digital textbooks), Comtek RF Hearing System (to assist those with hearing disabilities), and CART Transcription (transcription service). Please contact Disability Resources for more information about ATs available to students.

Digital Accessibility

To learn more about digital accessibility, see CWRU’s digital accessibility page, a collaborative effort by Teaching and Learning Technologies, Disability Resources, and University Marketing and Communications.

Optical Character Recognition

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software makes documents text searchable, which is required by some screen reader software. Adobe Acrobat Pro, available for free download at the Software Center, provides OCR translation. To use OCR in Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to the “enhance scans” function, and then select the document you would like to make text searchable. For more information about using OCR on Adobe Acrobat, see the OCR Research Guide.

OmniPage is another software that can make documents text searchable. It is a stronger tool than Adobe Acrobat and is available at the Kelvin Smith Library on the Freedman Center scanners. For help using OmniPage, please contact the Digital Scholarship Team.

Borrowing Accommodations

Adding an Authorized Borrower

If you are registered with the university as having accommodations and would like to add an authorized borrower to your account (another CWRU user who is able to check out materials on your account), please contact us. In your email, include the name of one authorized borrower and the length of time you are allowing them to check out materials for you (maximum of one year; can be renewed for additional years). The authorized borrower must present a CWRU ID at the Circulation Desk before checking out any materials. Please note that patrons with authorized borrowers are responsible for their own library accounts, including any materials that their authorized borrowers pick up for them.

Research Help and Locating Alternative Formats

For help with research, please contact us via chat, email, or appointment request. Librarians can assist in finding digital versions of print or older scanned materials to maximize accessibility within course materials or presentations.

CWRU Resources

Requesting Accommodations

Office of Disability Resources (for students)
Office of Equity (for faculty and staff)

Need Help?

Have a suggestion or recommendation to improve accessibility at the Cleveland Health Sciences Library? Submit it using our Accessibility Recommendation Form.