By: Dwana Pinchock

The spirit of advocacy is alive and well in the northern region of Dauphin County. When our up-county citizens sense a need, they are quick to mobilize. In this case, it all started with a request for a large-format computer monitor. When Elizabethville Library Manager Barbara Seltzer recognized the lack of resources for her blind and low-vision members, she decided to request assistance from Community Aid to get assistive technology equipment and software for the library.

Seltzer is the perfect advocate for this endeavor, because when she was six years old, she needed to have eye surgery. “They did both eyes at the same time,” she explains. “Back in the day, over a half a century ago, this wasn’t the norm. The surgery did not go well, so I had a second surgery and had both my eyes completely bandaged without seeing any light for two weeks. At six years old, I was temporarily blind and it was terrifying.”

When asked how this traumatic experience shaped her life as an adult, she doesn’t hesitate to respond. “It’s definitely had an impact on me because I still wake up in the middle of the night to make sure I can see. It’s made me sensitive to those who are blind or who have severe visual impairment.”

This type of advocacy is especially important since Elizabethville Library has several members who are visually impaired. There are at least two people who are legally blind and use the library regularly.

“One member is a tremendous advocate for the blind community,” says Seltzer. “She has recently worked with the Elizabethville borough and the state to get a traffic and audio traffic light at the busiest street corner. Another member is with the Friends of the Library. She is legally blind and at one of her daughters has severe vision issues. We have several other people throughout the community who also have a visual impairment.”

When asked when she decided to advocate for assistive technology at the Library, Seltzer shares her “ah-ha” moment.

“It was about a week after I transferred to the Elizabethville library. I had looked over the budget and saw that there was money to get a large monitor for members who are visually impaired. This was not the expensive equipment and software that we have now thanks to Community Aid. It was simply a basic, large computer monitor.

“I mentioned the need to my manager at the time, Dustin Brinton-Wilson, who was in my office. Right after I said this to him, a member walked into the library with her white cane. It was like something right out of a movie! I approached her and started asking her opinion on having some type of assistive equipment here. She said she usually needed to find a way to get to Harrisburg to use those things because they weren’t available in Northern Dauphin County. Transportation is an issue for most everyone up-county.

“Our Friends group was willing to pay for assistive computers, monitors, and software if we couldn’t find funding, but we have someone on staff who could apply for a grant from Community Aid. It was a team effort with everyone doing their part.”

If you know of someone up-county who has impaired vision, encourage them to come to the Elizabethville Area Library, either in person or online for a variety of resources. With their free Library card, they will have access to ebooks, audio books, CDs, and large print books as well as the latest assistive technology.

“We are here to help. You do not need to have a library card to use the computers, though it’s always nice to have one because you’ll have access to so much more!”