The Government & Heritage Library, which manages the NCpedia, has teamed up with the NC Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NCLBPH) on a pilot project to increase the level of accessibility of the NCpedia for low-vision and blind patrons.
“Adaptive technologies can be expensive,” said Craig Hayward, Systems and Digital Services Librarian at NCLBPH. “This creates a divide between those who can afford to access reputable information online and those who cannot.”
The libraries are striving to close that gap for those seeking information about North Carolina by recording and embedding audio description in select entries. The NCpedia entries about the state’s symbols consistently receive a lot of hits so were an obvious place to start.
Four entries have been recorded and embedded in the NCpedia. They include the entry for the state bird (http://ncpedia.org/symbols/bird), state dog (http://ncpedia.org/symbols/dog), state flag (http://ncpedia.org/symbols/flag) and state horse (http://ncpedia.org/symbols/horse).
Log on and give them a listen!
