Staff Pages

Purpose of the task force:

In Fall 2019 a task force was created to address concerns related to library accessibility for persons with disabilities.  Accessibility, in this context, refers to the library's physical space, our in person and virtual services, as well as our online presence.  

Members:

Lisa Chaudhuri

Brigid Farrell

Tom Keays

Kari Zhe-Heimerman

Problems to address in the short term:

• While the librarians met with Roger Purdy, the rest of the library staff may not be aware of the issues surrounding library accessibility for persons with disabilities
  • Solution: Bring this up at the March staff meeting
    • Prior to meeting, share with the library staff the two videos that Roger had shared with the librarians
      • Equal Access: Campus Libraries
        • https://www.washington.edu/doit/videos/download.php?file=ea_libraries.wmv
      • JJ Pionke, librarian at University of Illinois - For me it's personal
        • https://youtu.be/58FmnzlFzzs
    • At meeting discuss the purpose of the task force, the problems we are trying to address and gather feedback from staff
• The library is not fully aware of how students with disabilities use our library and what difficulties they may face
  • Solution:
    • Kari will work with Roger Purdy to identify students who would be willing to meet and discuss their use of the library and the ways in which we can improve the accessibility of our resources
• The library stacks are inaccessible to students with visual or physical impairments
  • Solution 1: Lisa will create a sign on 2nd floor to call down to the service desk for help retrieving materials from stacks
    • Could sign also be in braille?
    • Make sure sign is in large enough print
    • Need to train student workers on this
    • Ask if the student would like us to pull books before and books after so they can browse 
  • Solution 2: Lisa will make a form on our website where students can submit requests for us to retrieve items from the stacks 
    • Need to figure out how this gets submitted to the department and how the student workers are informed to pull the books
    • On the form, the student will be able to indicate if they only want that one book or if they want the other books around it to browse
    • Form needs to be accessible (screen reader) - consider using LibWizard instead of Google Forms
    • This form should be for students with disabilities - how do we make sure that students that do not have special needs use this form as a way to have the library pull books for them?  Maybe ask Roger? Only have the link on the Services for Persons with Disabilities page?
  • Future Solution: See "problems to address in the long term" below
• Disability Support Services (DDS) currently has a print enlarger but has nowhere to put it
  • Solution: Lisa has identified a space on the second floor where the print enlarger can go and needs to find a table that it can be placed on and coordinate with DDS to relocate the device
• A recent review of studies has also shown that mindfulness meditation helps people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder reduce their mental and physical problems.  There are limited spaces on campus that fulfill this need.
  • Solution: Kari will investigate the creation of a meditation space at the library 

Problems to address in the medium term:

• The library does not have a page devoted to Library Services for Persons with Disabilities 
  • Solution: Lisa, with the help of other members, will create a public facing page for Library Services for Persons with Disabilities
    • See examples from other libraries included in the "additional resources" section
    • As part of this page, make sure to mention how to make Google Forms accessible for screen readers.  See this page for more information - https://accessibility.umn.edu/surveys-forms/google-forms
      • Consider using LibWizard which is more accessible
    • Mention about Premier AT (available on all campus computers) which contains a suite of accessibility tools
• The library does not have pamphlets advertising our services available in braille
  • Create braille pamphlets 
• The library's floor plan is currently a GIF file which is inaccessible to screen readers
  • Solution 1: Make the library's floor plan accessible to screen readers by utilizing a different format where the document can be marked up for use with screen readers 
  • Solution 2: Brigid is currently working with Le Moyne's Maker Zone to develop a tactile map of the library for visually impaired patrons. The Maker Zone is in the process of using 3D printers to create a raised surface that allows a visually impaired individual to feel the outline of different sections and offices in the library. Areas will be labeled in both braille and sighted lettering, so the tactile map will be useful for both sighted and non-sighted patrons. 
• The library does not currently have a workstation that is accessible to persons in a wheelchair
  • Kari will work with IT, and possibility facilities, to investigate getting at least one accessible workstation for the library
    • It would be ideal of the table height could be adjustable
• Braille signage not consistent throughout library and sometimes in poor locations.  Also, there are questions as to whether the braille actually says what it is suppose to
  • Solution: Tom will go through the braille signage in the library and transcribe them to see if they are correct. The results here.  Tom also suggests that we should also identify places where there should be signage added (mainly on the second floor) and where signage might need to be moved (sign outside of librarians area).
• Coat hooks and shelves in bathrooms not currently accessible by individuals in a wheelchair
  • Solution: Have facilities lower the coat hooks and shelves 
    • Other question - Is there a coat hook available in the wheelchair accessible bathroom stall?  If so, is it the proper height and could this serve the purpose?

Problems to address in the long term:

• The library stacks are inaccessible to students with visual or physical impairments
  • Solution 3: Make the aisle width wide enough for a wheelchair
• Alternate Format Service
  • Solution: Is an online form for remediation possible? (so that when students need a print book in an accessible format they would submit the form; similar to what they do at SU using their ILL form as a basis)

Other library websites:

• https://hls.harvard.edu/library/forms-and-services/services-for-persons-with-disabilities/
• https://web.library.yale.edu/services-persons-disabilities
• http://future.library.albany.edu/services/persons-with-disabilities
• https://library.syr.edu/accessibility/index.php

Readings/Webinars:

• https://www.washington.edu/doit/universal-access-making-library-resources-accessible-people-disabilities
• Webinar: Disability Access and Libraries - Current Issues and Future Directions
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pw-WUa7oyg&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=CLRC+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=86047b1ab9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_13_02_43_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_79bcdd6ad1-86047b1ab9-
• The Invisible Client: Meeting the Needs of Persons with Learning Disabilities (article mentioned during the Disability Access and Libraries - Current Issues and Future Directions webinar)
  • https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9xU9LBsiDNvZzJCZ1FnUUw2YjdNVkxqVGVjRU91aDhweTg4/view?usp=sharing

• Eighteen Blind Library Users’ Experiences with Library Websites and Search Tools in U.S. Academic Libraries: A Qualitative Study

  • https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/16947/18653

• Blind academic library users’ experiences with obtaining full text and accessible full text of books and articles in the USA

  • https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QkKMuL155F4lPl-UQKTv-0J3k92wD6bS/view?usp=sharing

• Peacock, Rebeca and Amy Vecchione. "Accessibility Best Practices, Procedures, and Policies in Northwest United States Academic Libraries." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 46, no. 1 (2020): 102095. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2019.102095

  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0099133319303994