Accessibility & Disability Services at USC Libraries

Accessibility & Disability Services

Click the tabs to learn more about USC Libraries services available to library patrons with disabilities.

The USC Libraries is committed to providing access to resources and services for all members of the USC community, including those with disabilities. This section provides information about specific resources, services, and accommodations, both in person and online.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for, or have any questions, please contact USC Libraries.  

Access Library Buildings

Library Entrances

USC Libraries is currently working with USC Facilities Planning Management to update descriptions of library accessible entrances. Some of the information below may be outdated. If you have questions, please contact USC Libraries. 

  • Library building access map: To view the accessible entrances and other accessibility information (e.g. elevators, restrooms) for each library, click the library name in the left sidebar, then click the "Accessibility" link in the bottom of the pop-up description of the library. 
  • Library building access PDFs: PDFs with accessible entrances and other accessibility information (e.g. elevators and restrooms) for each library.
  • USC Maps: The most current interactive UPC and HSC maps.
Library Spaces & Technology

Library Spaces

Find library spaces and details about different spaces and technology available across the USC Libraries locations. Includes group and individual study spaces available by reservation.

Adaptive Technologies at Leavey Library

  • Leavey Library and the USC Office of Student Accessibility Services work together to provide users with disabilities equal access to computing resources through a variety of adaptive technologies, such as braille and E-text conversion services at a lab in Leavey Library.
  • For more information on the available technologies and on the training program for their use, and to access the lab at Leavey, please contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services at (213) 740-0776 or osasfrontdesk@usc.edu.
  • Please visit the Leavey Library circulation desk to borrow Sony MDR-7506 headphones (available for use in the Assistive Technologies Room only).

Additional Assistive Technologies

  • NVDA screen reader software is installed on all student-use computers located within library buildings. 
  • View a complete list of Assistive Technologies available through the USC Office of Student Accessibility Services.

All-Gender Restrooms

Printing and Scanning

Borrow and Access Library Materials

Interlibrary Loan and Scan and Deliver Services

The USC Libraries is committed to providing access to research materials and computing resources for all members of the USC community, including those with disabilities. The library’s main disability services are facilitated by the Integrated Document Delivery (IDD) department for those who have disabilities that present barriers to library access.

At the request of a registered user, IDD will scan article from print journals or other non-electronic resources. Users will be notified by e-mail with a link to download the PDF scan of the item requested. USC faculty members, staff, graduate students, and distance students are automatically eligible for document delivery. If you are an undergraduate student, please note in your request that you have a barrier to library access.

In all cases, if special circumstances exist, borrowers may contact IDD to discuss available options.

Requests can be submitted to IDD by registering and setting up an account in ILLiad, the department’s online request system. Requests must include the library location and call number where the item is located and as much of the following as possible:

  • Book: author, title, publisher and date of publication
  • Journal Article: article author, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, date and article page numbers

Please note that incomplete or inaccurate citations may delay the processing of an order. If you wish to communicate with us about an order, or have any questions about the program, please contact IDD at idd@usc.edu or (213) 740-4020.

Alternative Format Accommodations 

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) provides free alternative format accommodations for USC students, faculty, and staff. OSAS will convert traditional print materials to a variety of formats, including but not limited to, E-text, PDFs, Audio Books/MP3’s, or Braille. 

Access Physical Materials at the Libraries

If you need assistance retrieving physical materials from shelves, contact the specific library that owns the item to arrange for additional accommodations or visit the circulation desk and ask a staff member for assistance.

Recommend a Purchase

You can recommend a purchase for a digital copy of an item.

Accessibility Information for Library Resources

Accessibility Information for Major Library Suppliers.

ProQuest

The Libraries subscribe to many databases provided by ProQuest. View the current list of ProQuest databases.

ProQuest states that they try to ensure that all of their databases meet the Americans with Disabilities Act and the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and maintains an Accessibility Statement.

ProQuest provides a help page regarding how to adjust viewing options within ProQuest databases. They provide instructions on changing font size, text, colors, and backgrounds.

JSTOR

JSTOR will make every effort to ensure that their image-based PDF files are accessible and can be read with screen readers like JAWS. These files are tagged at a high level using an automated process. In the event that the PDF tagging described above is not sufficient for use, they can perform manual tagging on a limited number of articles for users by contacting JSTOR Support and including the citations for the articles that need to be tagged. There is a limit of 3 articles per request and turn around time is 3 days per request. Additional information on JSTOR's accessibility policies can be found on their website.

Web of Science

Web of Science is working to resolve defects that currently make the site difficult to access with a browser designed for visually impaired user (JAWS) as well as other best practices and our development teams are working towards resolving these issues for within a future product release. The Web of Science Product Accessibility Performance Report and a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) can be found on their website. 

Oxford E-book Collections

(Scroll down to Oxford to see the several e-book collections the Libraries subscribe to through Oxford.)

Oxford Scholarship Online has WCAG, AA compliance and work with most popular screen-reading software. Oxford is happy to answer any questions on this subject as well as receive comments on areas that could be improved. You can view e-books chapter-by-chapter in HTML or in (downloaded) PDF.  Oxford Scholarship Online accessibility policies can be viewed on their website. 

For help with these resources or any other library resources, please contact USC Libraries. 

Other Campus Resources

Campus Resources

  • USC Office of Student Accessibility Services: Provides support and accommodations for USC students with disabilities. Services include assistance in providing readers/notetakers/interpreters, special accommodations for test taking needs, assistance with architectural barriers, assistive technology, and support for individual needs.
  • Digital Accessibility: Resources for digital accessibility at USC.
  • Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity: The mission of the Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity (KCLC) is to apply and engage in research and training to serve individuals with diverse learning needs and to empower students to reach their full academic and creative potential.
  • Disabled Access To Road Transportation (DART): DART is a free service provided by USC Transportation to assist USC students, faculty and staff with temporary mobility issues in getting around campus.
  • USC Student Health Center: Healthcare services for USC students.
  • USC Center for Excellence in Teaching: Promotes a vibrant culture of teaching and learning, providing teaching and course design resources for the USC community, schools, and faculty.
  • USC Housing / Disability Services and Programs: Find out about housing for students with disabilities available in a variety of university locations both on campus and off campus. 

USC Libraries Research Guides

Resources Beyond Campus