Libraries and Accessibility

Developing Services for Patrons with Disabilities

• In August 2019, Webjunction posted an article on "Prioritizing Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Your Library" with good reminders and links.
• Webjunction archived an October 2014 webinar called "Serving the Underserved: Children with Disabilities at Your Library" which you can view with a free Webjunction account. The associated web page includes a long, incredibly practical resource list.
• Libraries and Autism provides resources and training for library staff to help them serve individuals with autism and their families more effectively.
• LearningWorks for Kids has developed gaming recommendations for alternative learners with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

By integrating concepts of Universal Design into your library, you can ensure that buildings and services can be used by the broadest number of people. For an overview of Universal Design and its concepts, visit the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design's About Universal Design page. For more information, check out these resources:

• Equal Access: Universal Design of Libraries - A checklist for making libraries welcoming, accessible, and usable
• The Institute for Human Centered Design is dedicated to enhancing the experiences of people of all ages and abilities through excellence in design.