1. Service and Patron Perspectives
Montgomery County Community College
January 9, 2019
TCLC - ADA in the Library
Alice Pakhtigian

2. ALA stance
The Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy
The ALA Library Services for People with Disability Policy states that “Libraries play a catalytic role in the lives of people with disabilities by facilitating their full particiation in society. Libraries should use strategies based upon the principles of universal design to ensure that library policy, resources and services meet the needs of all people” (ALA, 2006, para. 3)
Libraries must not discriminate against individuals with disabilities and shall ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to library resources. To ensure such access, libraries may provide individuals with disabilities with services such as extended loan periods, waived late fines, extended reserve periods, library cards for proxies, books by mail, reference services by fax or , home delivery service, remote access to the OPAC, remote electronic access to library resources, volunteer readers in the library, volunteer technology assistants in the library, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter or realtime captioning at library programs, and radio reading services.
Libraries should include persons with disabilities as participants in the planning, implementing, and evaluating of library services, programs, and facilities. (ALA, 2006 para. 6). Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (Division of ALA).

3. “I am not my disability”
There are ongoing conversations and debates within Disability Studies and the Disability Rights Movement as to whether to use person first (“a person who is deaf”) vs disability first language (“a Deaf person”). Both are responses to deficit-based views of disability. For some, person-first language is an important way to reclaim humanity. For others, the self-identification with disability culture is a meaningful counterpoint to stigmatizing disability. (Thurber, 2018)
Thurber, A. and Bandy, J. (2018). Creating Accessible Learning Environments. Retrieved [todaysdate] from

4. What are patrons looking for?
Accessible space
Quiet areas
Good lighting
1995 (pg 49)
Assistive technology
Private study carrels
Student volunteer readers (for students with visual impairments)
Assisting people with hearing loss with their research
Use of mindfulness as a way to build empathy and compassion within library employees toward people with disabilities
Universal design theory

5. Mindfulness: use of mindfulness as a way to build empathy and compassion within the library employees towards people with disabilities
Universal Design: incorporates the needs of all users, which includes people with disabilities, children and the elderly in the design from the begining to make the curriculum space or service accessible to everyone regardless of who they are
Pionke, J. J. (2017). Toward Holistic Accessibility: Narratives from Functionally Diverse Patrons. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(1), 48–56.

6. Empathy vs. Sympathy
Empathy is the ability to understand what someone is experiencing and to reflect back that understanding
Sympathy is a tool for distancing oneself from the pain of others and is antiethical to compassion and empathy.
Cultivating empathy involves understanding not only our own reactions to the functionally diverse but also understanding how the library as an institution reacts and then taking steps to address both the personal and organizational deficits that are identified
Pionke, J. J. (2017). Toward Holistic Accessibility: Narratives from Functionally Diverse Patrons. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(1), 48–56.

7. Ask, don’t assume
Ask how to best serve people with disabilities.
Ask the Disability Office.
Students with disabilities don’t want to be singled out even when getting services.
According to the book “Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities”
The US Department of Labor reminds us that, when communicating with people who have disabilities, we should
• Relax.
• Treat the individual with dignity, respect, and courtesy.
• Listen to the individual.
• Offer assistance, but do not insist or be offended if your offer is not accepted.

8. Themes from interviews
Empowerment
Facilities (quiet places to study, food, lockers, easy layout to spaces and materials and better lighting on the outside of the building)
Safety- for patrons with PTSD and autism (librarians need to get training in de-escalation)
Communication - patrons sometimes struggle with communicating their needs. They don’t know where stuff is and don’t want to be a pest.
Expertise needed- they rather speak with an expert than student workers.
Negative interactions- lack of compassion and empathy (ex. Leaving a book bag or being corrected on how to use materials)
Positive interactions - Kind, helpful, professional, efficient
Training- express frustrations on clear lack of disability awareness
Towards Holistic Accessibility

9. Perceptions of Libraries
Frustration
Physical Concerns
Digital Issues
Suggestions
Cleanliness
Signage
Universal Design
Hours
Privacy
Marketing

10. How can you help? Brochures Awareness training
Clear, simple directional signage
Have quiet rooms
Have information on the Library Home Page listing services and Assistive technology specific to people with disabilities
If you have interpreters, please list the hours they are available.
Make the website accessible
When doing Information Literacy, please do different types of teaching (verbal, tactile, and visual)
When doing a reference interview with patrons, please have it in a quieter place, and where they feel safe
Explain things in a clear, simple way.
Kowalsky, M., & Woodruff, J. (2017). Creating Inclusive Library Environments : A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities. Chicago: ALA Editions.
Because persons with disabilities interact with libraries on a daily basis, it is important that library staff have the training necessary to feel confident and comfortable providing assistance. One way to promote effective communications and positive interactions with persons with disabilities would be to use recommended first-person language. Determining the appropriate language to use in advance of meeting users with disabilities will ensure that staff members are addressing, assisting, and accommodating each user in an appropriate manner.

11. Library Websites showing Accessibility

12. More examples https://library.tamu.edu/services/accessibility.html

13. Reference
Kowalsky, M., & Woodruff, J. (2017). Creating Inclusive Library Environments : A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities. Chicago: ALA Editions. Retrieved from
Poinke, J.J. (2017). Towards Holisitic Accessibility: Narratives from Functionally Diverse Patrons. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(1),
Remy, C., Seaman, P., & Polacek, K. M. (2014). Evolving from Disability to Diversity. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 54(1), 24–28. Retrieved from
Thurber, A. and Bandy, J. (2018). Creating Accessible Learning Environments. Retrieved 7 January 2019 from
United Spinal Disability Etiquette (2019). Retrieved from
Walling, L.L. (2004). Educating Students to Serve Information Seekers with Disabilities. Journal of Education for Library and information Science, 45(2), Retrieved from

14. Questions?