We are dedicated to providing easy access to resources and services that are inclusive and that respect our community’s diversity. We demonstrate a strong commitment to accessibility across all of our branches and the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre has been carefully designed to increase accessibility for our community in numerous ways.
Adaptive technology plays a role in enabling access. The height of the Cruiser tables (large touch screen tables) at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre makes them accessible for people in wheelchairs and allows collaborators to work around a shared surface and discover information intuitively. The TAPits are touch screen computers designed to recognise the difference between intentional instructions and unintentional touch. The TAPit platform is within reach for people in wheelchairs or with other mobility devices and it is easily adjusted to people’s individual requirements.
Other accessibility features include:
Orientation for the visually impaired to visit assistive technology facilities on Level 2
If you are walking from the train station across Johnstone Park, once you reach Little Malop Street turn left. Unless you want to stop for refreshments, walk past the café’s single step and single sliding door for about ten metres and when you reach the giant ball on your right, you’ll turn left through a double sliding door to enter the foyer. If you are walking from the cafes and restaurants on Little Malop Street and heading towards Johnstone Park, you will pass City Hall then the Geelong Gallery and at the giant ball to your left, you’ll turn right and walk through a double sliding door to enter the foyer.
Once in the foyer, turn left to walk through another set of sliding doors and veer to the right of a security gate. There is a table to the right where a library staff member will greet you and help you with contact tracing obligations.
Once ready, turn left to be in the direction that you approached the table in and turn right and do a U-turn. Then walk ahead through another set of double sliding doors to reach the lifts on your left. The lift call buttons have braille. The right-hand lift is the accessible lift, in that there’s enough space for both you and a service animal or a support person that may be with you. This may mean you need to wait for that lift to arrive as depending on the usage at the time, the smaller, non-accessible lift on the left might come first.
In either lift, the button panel is immediately you your left upon entering the lift. All buttons have braille. The enunciator will announce when you arrive at Level 2 and you can exit the same set of doors you entered the lift. If you need to use the bathroom, they’re on your left and the first door is the accessible unisex toilet with a sign in braille. To enter the library space, turn to your right and walk through another set of double sliding doors.
If you continue straight forward you will pass the self-checkout machines and library service desk on your right before arriving at the bench with the public computers that have text to voice and Zoomtext screen reader software, along with a ‘Read Easy Move’ device and a braille embosser that is free to use. Library staff are trained to assist with using the embosser if needed.
Other information about accessibility at the Dome
The Dome is accessible for people of all abilities as a result of extensive consultation with Geelong’s Disability Advisory Committee.
Access to the building is available through large double doors at the main street entrance and a new ramp and pathways have been constructed at the park-side entrance to allow for access for all abilities from Johnstone Park. The building is serviced by two large elevators and there is a hand railing on the stairwell which leads up through the 5 public levels. The corridors are wide and the rooms are spacious with plenty of room for access and movement throughout.
The building has a Changing Places accredited toilet facility located on the ground floor of the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, with a height-adjustable change bench suitable for adults, a ceiling hoist with a maximum weight limit of up to 180kg, grab rails, circulation space to move around the room in a wheelchair and an automatic door with a 950mm opening. Ambulant toilets and baby change facilities are also available on every level.
On the level 5 events space, customers with hearing aids can switch on ‘T’ (Telecoil) mode and tune into any amplified source in the room’s inbuilt AV. The same system is available in the Level 2 Meeting Room, the Heritage Reading Room presentation space and the Boardroom. There is also a hearing loop set that allows people to listen to the PA broadcasts. There is a large video wall news lounge on the ground floor. Teletext for the hearing impaired and the Flexicast Listen App for the visually impaired are both available in the news lounge.
Wayfinding signage is available in Braille and digital wayfinding kiosks are at an accessible height. Self checkout computers are at an accessible height for users in wheelchairs as are catalogue PCs. There is also a wheelchair accessible microfilm/fiche scanner in the Heritage Reading Room.
We are able to provide an Auslan interpreter for prebooked tours and we also use the National Relay Service.
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