Yorktown Library Receives Reading Device for Visually Impaired

The John C. Hart Memorial Library has bought new technology for the visually impaired thanks to a generous donation of $1,900 from the Yorktown chapter of Lions Club International.

The new device, an Optalec Compact 10 HD Speech, is a portable digital screen magnifier. The device is a tool for people with low vision that allows users to adjust magnification and contrast to their preferred levels. The tablet-sized device also reads speech aloud to the user with adjustable volume and speed, and it connects to headsets via Bluetooth.

“We are deeply grateful to the Yorktown Lions Club for their generous grant, which allows us to replace our outdated equipment with a new handheld, portable reading device. This transformative technology will make it easier for community members with visual impairments to access materials independently, and it reflects the Yorktown Lions Club’s long-standing commitment to improving lives through vision support,” said library Director Yvonne Cech.

The donation will enable the library to replace outdated and oversized magnification equipment.

Library staff are available to teach patrons how to use the device, which can be reserved for in-library use in one of the study rooms.

Photo caption: from front left to right (all Lions Club except where noted below): David Bourgeois; Diane Buschel; Carol Roberts; Lucille Bourgeois; Kristina Iennaco; Cathy Bahan, Library Trustee; Yvonne Cech, Library Director; Allison Egan, Head Librarian; Kathleen Macie; Stacey Warren; Marty Scatola; Carol Lachterman; Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman; and Bob Freichette at a donation ceremony at the Hart library on Sept. 18, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Hart library.