The National Library is committed to ensuring that all Australians have the same access to our collections, exhibitions, building and events.
It doesn't matter if you visit us in person or access our collections online, you should be able to access what you want in a way that suits you.
Our Disability Framework is based on the National Disability Strategy.
Accessibility for visitors
Parking
Eight accessible car spaces are available in the carpark off Parkes Place, on the south side of the building. Signage and road markers show these areas.
Entrances
You can access the Library foyer, Main Reading Room and exhibition galleries through automatic doors.
All other areas on the Ground Floor, including the Bookshop and Bookplate café, are accessible through open doorways.
There are 15 stone steps leading to the front entrance. The steps have handrails that are lit at night.
Ramps
You can access the building by the ramp on the south side of the building.
Alternatively, you can phone security on 02 6262 1376 and arrange to enter on Lower Ground Floor 2 (LG2).
Lifts and phones
The control panels in our lifts are at a convenient height for people using wheelchairs.
On the Lower Ground Floor (LG1), opposite the lift lobby, there is a public telephone that accepts coins and phone cards.
Visual and hearing aids
In the Main Reading Room, you can use:
- Optelec Clearview C video magnifier for magnifying images onto a computer screen
- JAWS screen-reading software (available on one computer) - due to the complexity of JAWS prior knowledge is needed
- Trackball mouse
- On screen magnification
- 2 Vision Australia keyboards for use by people with low vision
- 2 sit/stand desks.
If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact us through one of the following methods:
- National Relay Service TTY: 133 677
- National Relay Service Chat Call
- National Relay Service Captions Call
- Speak and Listen: 1300 555 727.
The Theatre on the Lower Ground Floor is fitted with a hearing induction loop for improved sound quality for visitors with hearing aids.
Hearing loops are also available in the Conference room and the Ferguson room.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are available from the Foyer Information Desk on the Ground Floor.
All reading rooms have wheelchair-accessible desks.
There is a wheelchair-accessible photocopier in the Main Reading Room.
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are available on the Ground Floor and Lower Ground Floor.
The control panels in our lifts are at a convenient height for people using wheelchairs.
Assistance for visitors with low vision or blindness
BindiMaps
The National Library's indoor navigation system is optimised to assist low vision and blind visitors with directions to move around the building safely and independently. Our navigation system also assists wheelchair, mobility and even pram-using visitors to navigate around easily.
BindiMaps is a mobile-phone app that acts as a personal navigation system with an audio guide-track directing you to your indoor destination. The app can also display visual maps, and is screen-reader friendly, making the app suitable for everyone.
200 Bluetooth beacons are installed throughout the National Library's public areas so, if you're using the BindiMaps app, you'll be directed to where you want to go.
Website accessibility
We've designed our website to meet the Australian Government standards for web accessibility.
These standards include the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) at level AA.
We regularly test our website for accessibility against the WCAG 2.0 and all new website contracts include accessibility as a key performance measure.
In 2022, Vision Australia audited our website and reported that it satisfied all Level A and Level AA success criteria of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 specification.
Please let us know if anything on this site is inaccessible to you or if you experience problems accessing our content.
