Equity of Access
A prominent issue in the field of library science today is equity of access. What is equity of access? Is it just the things we can see such as ramps and wide aisles, or is it also the things we can’t see. It is a complex issue that involves both the visible and the invisible. Equity of access is when special programs or projects are developed by organizations for underserved or unserved and often diverse populations according to Wong et al in chapter 5 of Information Services Today (2018). As stated earlier, equity of access is a complex issue with many challenges. A few of these challenges are language, social exclusion, differently abled individuals, ethnicity, and geographic changes. There are so many important challenges when thinking about equity of access that it is difficult to choose just one thing to focus on. However, because of my background and work in the field of special education, I am focusing on access for differently-abled individuals. According to Copeland in the United States one in five people is differently- abled and many others do not meet the legal definitions as being differently-abled, but face similar challenges and have similar needs (2015). “Today’s libraries patrons are hearing an inspiring rallying cry: “Libraries are for everyone.” However, if we stop to take a closer look at the diverse books being shared in our libraries, we might notice that a certain demographic is at risk of being left out. Far too often, our definition of diversity fails to include a surprisingly large marginalized group. One in four Americans are disabled in some way, but only 3.4% of children’s books feature a disabled main character. Even rarer are books about, or written by, neurodivergent individuals” (White, 2022). These numbers tell us that equity of access for this population is essential. Physical barriers, bias, and lack of accommodations can all contribute to the lack of equity of access for differently-abled patrons.
One area
that is frequently talked about in regard to differently- abled individuals is
physical barriers. There is legislation that mandates some physical aspects of
libraries such as ramps. However, there are many things that aren’t regulated
or at times there are requirements, but they don’t make the area as accessible
as it could be. For example according to the ALA website, ADA guidelines state
that the space between shelves should be a minimum of 36 inches to allow
wheelchair access, but 42 inches would be preferable to provide more access.
The website also states that the height of shelves is unrestricted. This could
create significant issues accessing material on higher shelves. Another
opportunity is furniture placement. If there are seating areas in the library
they are sometimes arranged in ways that make it difficult for those in
wheelchairs or using walkers to maneuver through the area. While some aspects
of the physical environment take funding to correct (elevator installations,
handrails, larger bathroom stalls, etc.), some things can easily be remedied.
For example, not placing materials on the top few shelves or placing seating
groups so that a wheelchair can join the group and leaving enough room between
seating groups and other furniture to allow wheelchairs and walkers to pass
through.
Another
aspect of equity of access is lack of accommodation and bias. Equity of access
is inhibited due to libraries lack of ability to promote inclusion and provide
access through technology and accommodations. With technology available to us
there are many ways libraries can provide accommodations for differently-abled
patrons. Some of these are simple things such as signage. Use a readable font
and make sure the color choices are contrasting (such as combinations of black
and white or a dark color and a light color) and the font is easy to read. Look
at the difference in ease of reading in the examples below:
Font and color make a big difference.
Font and color make a big difference.
Font and color make a big difference.
Other ways to make information more accessible to our
differently-abled patrons might be using a variety of delivery methods,
captioning videos, incorporating digital materials. An excellent resource
librarians can direct patrons to and assist them with is South Carolina Talking Books (SCTB). SC Talking Books is a free service for anyone with a physical or
print disability that inhibits their ability to access normal print materials
in some way. There is a short application for eligibility that must be filled
out prior to using the services. Individuals of all ages can apply and be
eligible as well as institutions such as schools and nursing homes. This
service provides patrons with braille or audio versions of print materials.
They currently have 17,460 large print copies and 236,275 copies in their
digital books collection as well as braille materials. Materials can be
delivered free of charge through the U.S. mail or digital download into
personal devices. SCTB not only offers
books, they also offer magazines and descriptive DVDs. On the website there is
a frequently asked questions section as well as phone numbers and an email for
anyone with questions or in need of assistance. This is an excellent resource
for individuals with a variety of disabilities and ages, and I encourage you to
explore it further. Below is a video that may be helpful about one of the
pieces of equipment they offer.
There are a multitude of resources available for libraries
and librarians to provide support in making libraries accessible for all
learners. One of those resources is call www.anovelmind.com. This website is a
resource for exploring children’s literature that deals with mental health and
neurodiversity issues. The site offers 3 main resources to assist libraries:
the database, an educator resource page, and a blog. Each week of the school
year children’s writers write about aspects of neurodiversity, mental health,
and children’s books on the blog. The educator resources section has different
areas: autism, ADHD, mental health, and book guides to name a few. The database
contains a list of books with topic, summary, and author listed.
Another resource that I recently located was
Project Enable. This website features a materials database. The
database lists materials that would be useful in serving different populations
and can be searched by audience, subject, or resource format. In addition to
resources there are also training opportunities presented on the website.
Training contains information on many topics and in many formats, such as
video, text, graphics, quizzes and assessments, and links to outside sources
and is broken into five learning modules.
It is not only important to make sure patrons can access the information in our libraries it is also our job as information specialist/ librarians to create an inclusion environment that makes differently-abled patrons want to come in. That often means examining our own practices and attitudes about people who are different than us. As librarians it is important to build awareness, adopt a philosophy of inclusion, and education (of patrons and ourselves). There is a lot we can learn from Ms. Salley in the case study when we look at the five themes that emerged:
• The door
is always open
• Individualize,
don’t generalize… Engage
• Accept and
embrace differences
• Skill
development
• Thinking
beyond the library (Copeland and Gavigan, 2015)
Copeland and Gavigan said it best in their case study,
“Striving for inclusion means seeing students or patrons for who they are and
for their abilities. It means refusing to allow labels to precede- and in some
cases, define- people. It means caring. It means making a difference” (2015,
Conclusion section, para 2).
This Week's Books- Myths
"The
storyteller who tells to children with special needs must have all the
qualities of a good storyteller--only more so. ...Storytellers who have the
opportunity to work with special needs children consider it a joy and a
challenge. ... Effective storytelling has the capacity to reach children with
visual and hearing impairments, children who struggle with reading and writing,
children who have behavioral issues, children who have processing and
communication difficulties, and children with attention deficit." (Greene
& Del Negro, 2010, p. 111)
References
Wong,
P. Figueoa, M., & Cardenas-Dow, M. (2018). Diversity, equity of access, and
social
justice. In S. Hirsh (Ed.),
Information Services Today (pp. 52-68). Rowan & Littlefield.
American Library Association. (n.d.). Library equipment and facilities management: access to facilities and ADA issues. https://libguides.ala.org/equip-facilities-mgt/access-ada
Copeland, C.A. & Gavigan, K.W. (2015).
Examining inclusive programming in a middle
school library: A case study of adolescents who are differently- And
typically-able. Journal of Research on
Libraries & Young Adults, 6: https://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2015/11/examining-inclusive-programming-in-a-middle-school-library-a-case-study-of-adolescents-who-are-differently-and-typically-able/
White, A, (2022, March 9). Collection development for neurodivergent students. School Library Connection. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Article/2275034
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