New Brunswick Libraries Receive New Funding to Improve Accessability

The New Brunswick government is investing $250,000 to provide an additional 24 adaptive computer workstations in public libraries to help people with disabilities.

The workstations have screen-reading software, text magnification tools and other technologies to help people with disabilities use print and electronic library resources.

The province is collaborating with the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation and the New Brunswick Public Library Service to provide the workstations.

Chairman Brian Hudson said the investment will make New Brunswick the first in Canada to offer province-wide access to adaptive workstations through its public libraries.

"Local libraries are for everyone, and the services we provide should also be for everyone," said Jody Carr, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour.

"We are pleased that today's funding will complete our goal of expanding the services to all local libraries," said Carr.

The workstations are expected to be available across the library system by the end of 2014.