Lisza helps us understand her difficulties in using the library with both visual and hearing impairments.
Lisza:
My name is Lisza Hoya and I am the local development worker at Lillington and our office is connected to Lillington library. I am 80 percent deaf and 95 percent blind, it's called Usher syndrome so my barriers start before I even get to the library because sometimes the access to the library alone is difficult. The next barrier I have is, coming in from a light environment then going into a semi-dark it takes a while for my eyes to adjust. Computers are very good in the library because a lot of them have been changed for visual impairment and most of the libraries in the district do what's called a profile. If you want to book a computer and they know you are coming and you have got a visual impairment they will tap in your profile which makes the print larger or whatever.
When I come into the library because my cane is so long it can't always sit behind the counter, when I fold it up and put it down on the counter then people can see that I have a vision problem but also to indicate the red stripes also show that I have a hearing impairment as well so that when they start talking to me they don't start talking with their hand in front of their mouths, turning to their sides, just that they keep up eye contact although I don't look at eyes I am a lip reader.
