On July 9, the New York State Library held a one-day conference to start a year-long celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I had the pleasure of attending the event and facilitating a panel discussion on ""Building Services Where Everyone Belongs." The panelists were:
- Samir Benantar, NYS Education Department Language Access Coordinator
- Blaise Bryant, the Communications Specialist for the NY Association on Independent Living
- Anna DeRosa, Program Research Specialist & Grants Coordinator at the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Joan Naturale, National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Deaf Studies Archives liaison for students, staff, and faculty at the Rochester Institute of Technology
- Christopher Woodfill, Executive Director of the New York State Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Office
The State Library has written a summary of the day and I want to capture here some additional thoughts, some of which came after the event had ended:
- Work with local agencies which support people who have disabilities in order to understand how to modify the library appropriate. Consider creating a group of advisors who can review designs, color choices, etc., and provide input.
- Wayfinding is important for everyone including people with limited vision. For example, instead of painting every wall the same color, paint an easy to see wall in each room a different color. Then you can tell people to go to the room with the red wall, for example. I know this means having more paints on hand for touch up, but the benefit will be worth it.
- For someone who is blind or has low vision, consider how to build wayfinding into the flooring. Use texture on the floor to show pathways as well as places with paths cross (and a person might want to turn).
- Upgrade your meeting rooms with hearing loops which can connect to a person's hearing aid through Bluetooth technology.
- Create a calming sensory room that can be used by children and adults with autism, as well as others who are being overwhelmed by the environment.
- In my mind, libraries should consider more broadly how to use construction grants or funding from other sources to improve accessibility.
- Work with professional translation services to have library materials (e.g., policies, program information) translated into the languages that are spoken most in your area. Be sure to have the translations reviewed by someone who speaks the language to ensure that translation makes sense to them. Also have these materials translated into Braille.
- Working with an interpreter (or an online interpreter service) can require some practice. Work to give your staff that practice time. Perhaps hire an interpreter to come, give a demonstration, and then allow people use the interpreter for a few minutes. (Pace, pausing, and clarity are important.)
- Create clear walking paths and do not use those clear walking paths for sudden displays or events.
- Help staff become comfortable with making mistakes when working with someone who has accessibility needs. Helping a patron/community member can be more important than doing it perfectly.
- Understand how to connect patrons with talking and Braille books.
- If your library has toys for children, ensure that toys are included for children who have accessibility needs.
- If you have recently renovation your library and did not think about accessibility (e.g., wayfinding), consider how you can now add-in accessibility elements.
- Remember to think about color selection for those who are color blind. Use high contract color combinations.
- Work to ensure that your library website is accessible and can be read by screen readers.
There is much more to consider. While it can be overwhelming, every change - even small ones - can help your library be more welcoming to its community.
The State Library is hosting a series of webinars to continue this conversation and education. The summary blog post contains a list of currently scheduled webinars at the bottom.
