A comfortable place for everyone

At Dakota County, we want our spaces and services to meet the needs of all our residents and visitors, and the Dakota County Library is leading the way in doing just that.

Recently, three library locations were remodeled to add calming spaces. Galaxie in Apple Valley, Pleasant Hill in Hastings and Heritage in Lakeville now have rooms with furniture and other supports to aid those with autism and other disabilities when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

To make the spaces as welcoming as possible, we partnered with the Autism Society of Minnesota and Fraser, a provider of autism and early childhood mental health services, to design and equip the spaces. The rooms are open for anyone to use.

Accessibility kits are offered at all library locations. The accessibility kit includes noise-canceling headphones, fidgets, a white board and much

more to help residents of all abilities communicate and regulate sensory input. The kits are available at the service desk for use in the library.

A two-year Innovations Grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services is helping us provide staff training on ways to make our services and spaces more inviting for people of all abilities. As a result, we’re modifying our social media content to reach those with hearing or vision impairments.

We also added programs specifically for those with disabilities and about disabilities to foster greater understanding and inclusion. A Department of Human Services grant has allowed us to offer 45 such programs since June 2018. More than 90 percent of participants report feeling more welcome at the library, more connected to the community, and more informed on issues and topics of disability and inclusion after attending a program.

Additionally, we’re partnering with the Metro Deaf School to provide American Sign Language programs, and we added Sensory-Friendly Saturdays at some locations to make library spaces more inviting for those on the autism spectrum or with sensory sensitivities.

Our material checkout stations are also designed at a height that is accessible for patrons of all ages and abilities.

We are responsive to suggestions about how we can do better. When we discovered that it was hard to maneuver a wheelchair into one of our conference rooms, we rearranged the shelving to make it more accessible.

If there is a way to make a library service or facility easier to use for you or your family, tell us at askalibrarian@co.dakota.mn.us or stop by the library service desk.