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Help For the Visually Impaired Offered at the Ferguson Library
By Joyce Neikirk
Help is available at the Ferguson Public Library for the visually impaired. People can now read the paper, a magazine, a favorite book or just look at photos of the grandkids with the help of the Smartview 5000 Reading Magnifier. It’s free and open to the public.
With the Smartview 5000 a person can view objects in full color or black and white and enjoy a clear image with the auto-focus. The controls are large and located on the front of the Smartview 5000 and are very user-friendly.
Located at the bottom of the machine is a reading table where the reader will place the paper, book or illustration on and from there they can then move it in any direction to make it simple to view the object. Because the reading table is thick a person can even use a telephone book to look up numbers. The Smartview 5000 has a magnification of 3 times to 60 times magnification.
The new equipment was a gift from the Ferguson Lions club. Charlie Ashlock, a long-time Ferguson resident and member of the Lions Club passed away and his family contacted Bob Erickson, a Lion, to see if the Lions club would like to have the machine because of their involvement in helping with sight issues. Erickson brought this to the attention of the club and it was unanimously voted on that the Ferguson Library should have the equipment instead of an individual or small group as this would allow anyone with vision problems to have equipment that allows them to read easily or look at photographs.
“I want to thank the Ferguson Lions club for being so generous with the library throughout the years. We have benefited greatly. And, this machine is so wonderful. I want people to know that they have a place where they can come and read with this,” said Joan Henderson, library director. “The Lions are such a great group of volunteers who are so very humble and don’t accept praise well because ‘it’s just what they do’,” she added.
All librarians and staff have knowledge of how the equipment works and are eager to assist those wanting to use the Smartview 5000. Anyone in Ferguson and the surrounding communities is invited to use the equipment at any time.
For more information contact the Ferguson Library at 314-521-4820 or visit the web-site at ferguson.lib.mo.us. They are located at 35 N. Florissant Road.
