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Library Building Accessibility

Information below may help you plan your visit to a particular library. Use the UW Accessibility Map for additional trip planning and Dial-A-Ride Shuttle page to find the closest shuttle stop around the Seattle campus. If you have questions, Ask Us!

Art Library

Entrance:
Ramp and door paddles on exterior doors. Interior doors are held open.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom on same floor.

Barriers:
Narrow spaces in some stacks and study areas. Bathroom has no signage but is available down the hall and around corner.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. KIC Scanner with height adjustable table. Multiple adjustable height tables for UWNetID computers.

Built Environments Library

Entrance:
Accessible entrance from University Way. Elevator to the right of the entrance. Library is on the 3rd floor.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom on same floor.

Barriers:
Narrow spaces in some stacks and study areas.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. KIC Scanner with height adjustable table.

Drama Library

Entrance:
Front entrance has ramp and door paddle but requires a chair lift to get downstairs. Alternate side entrance with ramp but requires ringing a doorbell to get inside.*

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom on same floor.

Barriers:
No elevator. Narrow spaces in some stacks and study areas.

*Main entry currently closed. Access the library from the alternate side entrance with ramp, on the northeast side off of Denny field.

Engineering Library

Entrance:
Ramp from the sidewalk at the west corner of the building to the main entrance. Main entrance has overhead sensor which opens outer and inner doors to library. Two elevators in the building.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom on the 4th floor.

Barriers:
Some interior doors are not 32 inches. Some doors have round (twist) doorknobs or levers. Some doors are heavy. No designated area of refuge (in progress).

Foster Business Library

Entrance:
All doors and three exterior entrances all accessible. Elevator goes directly to the library. Mezzanine level accessed by internal elevator.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom one floor up from main area.

Barriers:
Some bookshelves are moved with hand cranks.

Friday Harbor Labs Library

Entrance:
Library is in the main administrative building with ground level access.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom is about 20 feet away from library in the main building.

Barriers:
Both doors at the main entrance are usually left open. However, if only one door is open the entrance is 23.5" wide with no paddles. No accessible van service on San Juan Island. No doors have paddles or sensors.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations.

Gallagher Law Library

Entrance:
Use main entrance then take elevator to the library. Internal elevator for access to additional floors of the library.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom available.

Barriers:
Main library doors are propped open during public hours but closed with no paddle otherwise. Staff can be pages to open door during staffed hours. Group study rooms have lever doors.

Assistive Technology:
Assistive technology: available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. Scanning stations have height adjustable desks. Lower height desks available near the Info Desk. Magnifying reader available on lower level.

Health Sciences Library

Entrance:
Exterior doors have paddles and ramp access. Entry doors open during open hours.*

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom on 3rd floor.

Barriers:
2nd floor does not have wheel-chair or adjustable height computer tables. No paddles on exterior doors but doors remain open during open hours.*

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. Screen readers and screen magnification tools (JAWS and Zoomtext) on all Windows PCs. All printers and scan-to-print stations are wheelchair-height or are adjustable height. Third floor and Commons and Commons classrooms have wheelchair-height and height-adjustable computer tables.

*Note: Health Sciences is limited to users with valid Husky Cards, so doors remain closed during open hours. Call the Information Desk at 206-543-3390 for assistance with entry upon arrival.

Math Library

Entrance:
Accessible entry to Padelford C-Wing near corner of E Stevens Way NE and Pend Oreille Road NE. Elevator available inside to the 3rd floor library entrance.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom located on the first floor of Padelford (not within the library).

Barriers:
To enter the second floor of the library via elevator, you must go through an emergency exit door. Ask staff at the library first floor desk to open the door for you, or contact library staff in advance at branches@uw.edu or call 206-543-7296. Some shelving and the print station area have narrow entries. Staff at desk are available to assist in retrieving books or helping in other ways.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID). KIC Scanner with height adjustable table. Multiple adjustable height table for UWNetID computer.

Music Library

Entrance:
The main entrance of the music building has a paddle door. The entrance door to the library has a twist knob but is held open during open hours. An accessible elevator external to the library serves all floors of the music building.

Accessible Bathroom:
No bathrooms in the library. There is an accessible bathroom in the music building. Women: Room 001A, 118; Men: Room 24.

Barriers:
Narrow spaces in the stacks. Staff are available to help retrieve items. No area of refuge within the library.

Odegaard Undergraduate Library

Entrance:
Main floor entry has door paddles. Internal elevators to additional floors of the library.

Odegaard is accessible from Red Square, but the best alternate route is through the Central Parking Garage. Enter the garage via the pedestrian pathways from 15th Ave or Grant Lane, and then take the elevator to Kane Hall up from the garage. Signs in the garage indicate the exit to Kane Hall (via the elevator).*

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom on 1st floor.

Barriers:
Study rooms on 2nd and 3rd floors have door knobs. Study rooms on first floor have lever handles.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. KIC Scanner with height adjustable table. One adjustable height table for UWNetID computer. Wheelchair charging station.

*Elevator from Central Parking Garage to Odegaard is temporarily out of order.

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries

Entrance:
Red Square entrance has ramp access with a door paddle. An accessible route through the library runs through room 102. Allen ground floor entrances have paddles. Accessible route to elevators is the shortest via the Allen ground floor entrances.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathrooms are located on every floor. Additionally, accessible gender-neutral bathrooms are available at Suzzallo G050D and Suzzallo 101B.

Barriers:
None noted.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. Multiple adjustable height tables. Wheelchair charging station.

Suzzallo and Allen: Government Publications

Entrance:
Closest entrance is the Suzzallo ground floor entrance with paddle entry.

Accessible Bathroom:
Women’s and gender neutral accessible bathrooms located in the Government Publications area.

Barriers:
Narrow compact shelving which requires hand cranking. Items in magafiles may be difficult for limited mobility users to find. Limited signage.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations.

Suzzallo and Allen: Research Commons

Entrance:
Ground level entrance at Allen South with Paddle doors.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom located in the Research Commons area behind the elevators.

Barriers:
None noted.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. Multiple adjustable height tables. Wheelchair charging station.

Suzzallo and Allen: Special Collections

Entrance:
Closest entrance is the Suzzallo ground floor entrance with paddle entry. Elevator access to Allen South basement.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathrooms located in the Special Collections area. Must check in at the service desk.

Barriers:
None noted.

Assistive Technology:

Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations.

Tateuchi East Asia Library

Entrance:
Entrance on east side of building has a ramp, then go down the hall to the elevator to access main library.

Accessible Bathroom:
No accessible bathroom in the library. There is a bathroom on the third floor of the library but is not wheelchair accessible.

Barriers:
No area of refuge. Floors other than the main floor are inaccessible.

Assistive Technology:
Scanning station has height adjustable desk

UW Tacoma Library - Snoqualmie

Entrance:
All doorways have unobstructed openings with paddles and a ramp to ground access. Elevators available to access other floors of the library.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathrooms located in the northern half of the SNO on the 1st and 2nd floors.

Barriers:
None identified.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. One accessible work station located in room 222c. This workstation has zoom text, text-to-speech, height-adjustable desks, and magnification hardware.

UW Tacoma Library - Tioga

Entrance:
All doorways have unobstructed openings with paddles and a ramp to ground access. Elevators available to access other floors of the library.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom located outside of the northern stairwell entry way on each floor.

Barriers:
None identified.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. One accessible work station located on the first floor. This workstation has zoom text, text-to-speech, height-adjustable desks, and magnification hardware.

UW Bothell / Cascadia College Library

Entrance:
Entrance on the ground level. Doors have paddles. Elevators to access all levels of the library.

Accessible Bathroom:
Accessible bathroom with paddle doors on the first floor. All additional bathrooms are wheelchair accessible with stalls. The women's restrooms on the second and third floors also have paddle doors,

Barriers:
Study rooms have lever doors that require twisting the wrist.

Assistive Technology:
Available on Student Computers (require UW NetID) and Guest Research Workstations. Adaptive Technology Workstation on the first floor in the Information Commons. This workstation has a powered height-adjustable desk, touch-screen computer, Actobar video magnifier, webcam, jumbo trackball, high-contrast large print keyboard. Height-adjustable desks are also available throughout the library.

More information about accessibility at the UW Bothell libraries