Assisting people with disabilities

There is a growing demand to ensure that libraries make their spaces inclusive to people with disabilities. What techniques does your library use to make this happen? Are alternative formats provided? Do you have accessible maps of the area?

Or do you wait until a blind/deaf/deaf-blind/wheelchair user comes to you before making these available?

Deborah Mould

people-with-disabilities

Comments

KatieR: Questions about programming is considered off topic. If you wanted to ask more about library services to people with disabilities or effective ways to successfully help people with disabilities in programs, that could be more on topic.
dsalo: I don't know how to answer this. "People with disabilities" spans an extraordinarily wide gamut of people!
Deborah Mould: @dsalo, I wanted to make this broader, as a library might run a specific sessions with deaf interpreters but not do anything about those with vision loss.
Deborah Mould: @KatieR, change of focus from programming to assistance provision. No single 'right' answer however.
Ashley Nunn: This is a very broad question. What sort of things are you specifically looking for? There is no real way to answer this - this is more a discussion of "what do you do?" which isn't really a good fit on SE.
KatieR: @AshleyNunn, I see your point but I think this could easily fall under a "policy" question, which we have had answered successfully in previous questions. The problem is finding someone who as experience with writing policy in a library setting that directly addresses creating more inclusive spaces for patrons with disabilities to answer this question.

Answer by Ryan B

I am not a librarian, but I have worked in this field for a long time (8years).

There is a growing demand to ensure that libraries make their spaces inclusive to people with disabilities. What techniques does your library use to make this happen?

Education is the biggest helper. I have seen librarians go "oh duh" when they realise a person in a wheelchair can't reach past the second shelf in a stack, or can't reach a copier. Or when a person with a visual impairment asks for a bathroom, guide them versus saying "over there."

Are alternative formats provided?

The place I worked was part of large university, so most alt format requests were routed through the Disabled Student Services and dealt with accordingly. The DO-IT program has several resources about this:

Using the DO-IT only search from those links will provide more resources.

Do you have accessible maps of the area?

Again this was a collaboration of various departments within the university. I think only the main library had an accessible map, others just relied on staff to assist. By area, do you mean the city? I would reach out to the city hall or the information center to cover this.

Or do you wait until a blind/deaf/deaf-blind/wheelchair user comes to you before making these available?

Sooner rather than later. Libraries are considered a public entity, and covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. You should step back and see what you actually can do. I could sit here and make a list of various training and tools you could get (easily \$50k), but I don't think you have that much to spend. Read through the links above and go from there.