Beyond Ramps

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Beyond Ramps

• Library Accessibility
• in the Real World

Instructor Marti Goddard mgoddard_at_sfpl.org An
Infopeople Workshop Summer / Fall 2006
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This Workshop Is Brought to You By the
Infopeople Project

• Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project
  supported by the California State Library. It
  provides a variety of training to California
  libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered
  around the state and are open registration on a
  first-come, first-served basis.
• For a complete list of workshops, and for other
  information about the project, go to the
  Infopeople website at infopeople.org.

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Introductions

• Your name
• Your library
• Your position
• Why are you taking this class?
• Who is the first person with a disability you
  ever knew or saw?

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People First Language

• Feeling comfortable talking with all of our users
  is essential to providing excellent public
  service.
• Using people first language shows respect to
  people with disabilities.

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Who are we talking about?

• In a Census Bureau Survey of Income and
  Participation (conducted June September, 2002)
• 51.2 million people in the non-institutionalized
  population had some level of disability
• 18.1 of the population
• 8.4 of people under age 15
• 19.4 of people aged 45 54
• 38.4 of people aged 65 69
• 71.7 of people aged 80
• People of all ages, in all racial and ethnic
  groups and all socioeconomic groups have
  disabilities.

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Exercise 1 Accessibility Basics
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Defining disability

• Moral model disability is the result of sin
• Medical model disability is a defect or sickness
  that must be cured
• Rehabilitation model disability is a deficiency
  that must be fixed by a rehabilitation
  professional or other helping professional

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Disability Model

• Disability is a normal aspect of life, not a
  deviance.
• People with disabilities are not defective.
• Social discrimination and the built environment
  cause the most significant problems experienced
  by individuals with disabilities.

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According to the World Health Organization, a
handicap is a function of the relationship
between disabled persons and their environment.
It occurs when they encounter cultural, physical,
or social barriers which prevent their access to
the various systems of society that are available
to other citizens. Thus, handicap is the loss or
limitation of opportunities to take part in the
life of the community on an equal level with
others. - from the United Nations, World
Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons
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Exercise 2 No Pets Allowed. Service Animals in
the Library
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This is not my pet
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Its the law!

• Civil Rights Act (1964)
• Rehabilitation Act (1973)
• Section 504 (1978)
• Section 508 (1998)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
• California Fair Employment and Housing Act
  (amended 2001)

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Essential Legal Definitions

• Disability
• Major Life Activity
• Qualified Individual
• Reasonable Accommodation

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Policies, Practices and Procedures Public
entities are required to make reasonable
modifications to policies, practices, and
procedures where necessary to avoid
discrimination, unless they can demonstrate that
doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of
the service, program or activity being provided.
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Its the right thing to do!

• ALA Code of Ethics, 1995
• We provide the highest level of service to all
  library users through appropriate and usefully
  organized resources equitable access and
  accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to
  all requests.

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Accessible Libraries

• Its the law!
• And its the right thing to do!
• Well-trained staff, flexibility and good tools
  transform accessible buildings into accessible
  libraries.

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High Tech SolutionsAssistive Technology

• To create a successful AT program
• Work as a team AT users, ADA Coordinator,
  public service staff, IT staff
• Decide what to install and why you have it
• Agree on who can use it
• Figure out how to give users with disabilities
  priority use
• Train staff and figure out about user training
• Market the service

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The Most Important Solution

• Welcoming and sensitive staff
• Ready access to written policy and guidelines
  that supports front-line staff
• Attitudes are the real disability.

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Automatic Doors
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Clear Signs
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Oakland Public LibraryPictographs
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Disability Community Bulletin Boards
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Universal Design

• Elegant, broad-spectrum solutions that make
  products, services and environments as usable as
  possible by as many people as possible regardless
  of ability
• Previously labeled "barrier-free" or "handicapped
  accessible
• Supports inclusion rather than segregated
  services

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Exercise 3 Helping Users who are Blind or have
Vision Disabilities
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Downloadable Audio

• Also available from NLS Regional and Subregional
  libraries Unabridged Digital Audio Books
• NetLibrary Recorded Books, Inc.

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CCTV Closed Circuit Television
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Enlarged Text
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Braille Devices
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Low Tech Solutions

• Hand-held magnifiers
• Black Bold Write pens
• Signature guides
• Large type rulers
• Stick-on large-type black-on-white key caps

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Standards

• Revised Standards of Service for the Library of
  Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and
  Physically Handicapped , 2005
• Published by the Association of Specialized and
  Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the
  American Library Association.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/asclas
  tandards/standardsguidelines.htm

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Exercise 4 Helping Users who have Learning
Disabilities
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Talking Dictionaries and Talking Calculators
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Exercise 5 Helping Users who are Deaf or Hard
of Hearing
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Assistive Listening Devices
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Real-Time Captioning
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Closed Captioned Videos and DVDs
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TTYs / Text Telephones
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Videophones and Video Relay Services
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Captioned Media Program

• Open-captioned films and videos that can be
  borrowed by individuals or for showing to
  audiences with deaf members
• More than 100 streaming videos available through
  the Internet
• Administered by the National Association of the
  Deaf
• http//www.cfv.org

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Guidelines

• Library and Information Services for the
  American Deaf Community, 1995 (under revision)
• Published by the Association of Specialized and
  Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the
  American Library Association.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/asclas
  tandards/standardsguidelines.htm

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Exercise 6 Helping Users who have Speech
Disabilities
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Exercise 7 Helping Users who have
Developmental Disabilities
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Guidelines

• Library Services for People with Mental
  Retardation, 1999
• Published by the Association of Specialized and
  Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the
  American Library Association.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/asclas
  tandards/standardsguidelines.htm

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Exercise 8 Helping Users who have Psychiatric
Disabilities
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Guidelines

• Guidelines for Library Services for People with
  Mental Illnesses, 2006 (pending)
• Published by the Association of Specialized and
  Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the
  American Library Association.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/asclas
  tandards/standardsguidelines.htm

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Exercise 9 Helping Users who have Mobility or
Dexterity Disabilities
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Reachers / Grabbers
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Wheeled Walkers with Seats - Rollators
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Easy-to-Adjust Workstationsand Alternative Input
Devices
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Exercise 10 Make an Accessibility Policy for
Your Library
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ALA Library Services for People with Disabilities
Policy

• Unanimously approved by the ALA Council, the
  governing body of the American Library
  Association on January 16, 2001
• Written by the Americans with Disabilities Act
  Assembly - now the Accessibility Assembly - a
  representational group administered by the
  Association of Specialized and Cooperative
  Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the
  American Library Association

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Accessibility Policy Sections

• Title
• Purpose
• Services
• Facilities
• Collections
• Assistive Technology

• Employment
• Professional Development
• Programs Meetings
• Publications and Communications

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Title

• __________ Library Services for Persons with
  Disabilities Policy
• -or-
• __________ Library Accessibility Policy

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Purpose

• The San Francisco Public Library is dedicated to
  free and equal access to information, knowledge,
  independent learning and the joys of reading for
  our diverse community.
• The Accessibility Programs of the Library will
  assure that no patron is denied access.

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Nothing About Them Without Them
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Do as I say, not as I do! Include people with
disabilities in your staff training programs.
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Disability CultureA New Definition of
Disability

• Cultural Heroes
• Laurent Clerc
• Louis Braille
• Helen Keller
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Ed Roberts and the Rolling Quads
• I. King Jordan

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• Shared History
• Holocaust
• circus freaks
• residential schools and camps
• institutionalized living
• Jerrys Kids
• political activism

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• Shared Struggle for Rights
• WPA protest (1935)
• 504 protest (1977)
• ADAPT actions (1990 and continuing)

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• Art Exploring Expression of the Disability
  Experience
• fiction and poetry
• theater and film
• photography, painting, sculpture

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• Attitude and Language
• Disability is natural.
• People first language
• no longer other
• rejection of medical model
• pride in differences

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Video

• The Ten Commandments
• of Communicating with
• People with Disabilities

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Exercise 11 Make a Plan to Improve
Accessibility in Your Library
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Please fill out your evaluation, Thank you for
participating. Enjoy making your library
more accessible!