Library hosting special events

With October being Disability Awareness Month, the Hannibal Free Public Library recognizes the need to serve people with disabilities and special needs.
One in five Americans lives with at least one disability, and most of us will experience a disability at some time during our lives, according to the library staff. Some disabilities are easy to see, such as when a person uses a wheelchair or when someone has lost an arm. Other disabilities, like a developmental disability such as autism or a chronic
condition like arthritis, may not be as easy to see.
An informative program about the library’s accessible services will be offered at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23. Social services personnel and other agency staff are the intended audience, but the general public is also welcome to attend. The library is at 200 S. Fifth St.
A few of the accessible services provided by library are:
• The library checks out Described Videos for people who cannot see their TV screens but still want to watch movies. These special VHS tapes can be viewed by the family, while the person with low vision hears a brief description of what is happening.
• Walking Books is another program utilized by people cannot visit the library due to a temporary or permanent physical disability or age-related infirmity. Instead of visiting the library, the library goes to them, through a volunteer program co-sponsored by RSVP.
• The library’s weekly Adult Story Time is at 10:30 a.m. Fridays. This special story time is designed for adults with developmental disabilities, Alzheimers, or similar conditions, who like to listen to picture books being read aloud.
For more information about accessible services or the informative program, contact Library Director Hallie Yundt Silver at (573) 221-0222 or through e-mail at hallieys@hannibal.lib.mo.us.