Buildings and spaces
There may be times when you need support and help using our buildings and spaces.
We can help you to:
- Use lifts to access other floors.
- Get to a specific area of shelving.
- Retrieve books from shelves.
- Search for resources.
- Use the printers, PCs, and assistive technology.
Each building has an accessible entrance and a lift with access to each floor or level.
- St Peter's Library: Access to Prospect Building via automatic doors into the foyer.
- Library at Murray: Access to Murray Health via a ramp with automatic doors into the foyer. A lift on the entrance level can be used to take you to Library at Murray on Level 1.
- Library at Pasteur: Access to Pasteur Building via an automatic door. A small lift next to the entrance can take you to the Library at Pasteur level.
- Library at David Goldman: Access to David Goldman Technology Centre via a ramp with automatic doors into the foyer. A lift can be used to take you to Library at David Goldman on Level 3.
If you need help accessing our buildings and using the lift, please contact us through Library Talk. If we are not available, please contact the University's Security team on (0191) 515 2028.
If you have a disability support plan from the University, you can book study rooms up to eight hours a week per library site, up to a week in advance. You can book four hours per library site using the online system, and Library staff can book a further four hours per library site on your behalf by contacting us through Library Talk.
If you need to drive to and park on campus, there are nearby parking facilities at both campuses with designated disabled parking bays.
If you are a Blue Badge holder, you can register your vehicle for University Blue Badge parking. This enables you to park for free, in designated disabled parking bays on campus. If you do not hold a Blue Badge, you must contact the University's Disability Support Team prior to registering your vehicle.
The University has partnered with AccessAble, the UK's leading provider of detailed disabled access information. They have created access guides for all rooms and shared spaces at both our Sunderland campuses.
The guides can assist you with your journey to and around the University buildings, covering everything from parking facilities and hearing loops to walking distances and accessible toilets.
Accessibility features
Accessibility features are designed to help people use technology more easily. Although some features may require special software, many are built into operating systems, web browsers, and online resource platforms.
You can turn on accessibility features within the ebooks in our collections to improve your reading experience. Features include changing the colour and contrast, magnifying the content, and navigating using your keyboard.
FAQ: How do I turn on accessibility features when using ebooks?
Text-to-speech tools are aimed at users who prefer to listen to content instead of reading, people with dyslexia or other learning disabilities, people who have English as an additional language and find text challenging, or simply to provide users with an alternative way to consume web content. You can install a text-to-speech tool as a browser plug-in, so you can access it directly when reading an ebook online.
Some of our platforms have read-aloud features built in, and others do not, so you may need to use a text-to-speech tool depending on which platform hosts the ebook you are reading.
Alternative formats
We can look to provide alternative formats for students who have difficulties accessing printed materials. Please contact us if you need to request an alternative format. Keep in mind that time will be needed to organise alternative formats.
The RNIB Bookshare UK education collection is for print-disabled learners, those with dyslexia, and those who are blind or partially sighted. This service accesses a range of books in different formats. Many of the print books in the University of Sunderland Library collections are available via this service. Please contact us if you require access to this resource.