July 23, 2002
Cirillo, S. E. & Danford, R. E. (1996). Library buildings, equipment & the ADA: Compliance issues and solutions. Chicago, Ill.: ALA Editions.
Accessibility requirements for libraries have spurred many debates over costs and difficulties of compliance. Although Library buildings, equipment & the ADA: Compliance issues and solutions is several years old, most of the recommendations are still useful. The book comprises the proceedings of the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA)'s preconference meeting at the 1993 ALA summer meeting. The program dealt with "some of the most expensive and intransigent problems involved in providing library access to all citizens - the difficulties posed by bricks and mortar and architectural concepts which, in their era(s) of construction, did not take into consideration the needs of people with various physical impairments" (Cirillo & Danford, 1996, p. vii).
Danford and Cirillo note that the Act is a "living document which will be modified by legislation, litigation and experience" (ibid, p. viii). They express the faith that people can meet the spirit of the law, which "so neatly coincides with the mandates of the library profession" (ibid). In this atmosphere, the presenters whose articles are included here address a broad range of physical adaptations and design considerations that can help bring better access to both existing and new buildings.
Many people expressed (and perhaps continue to express) doubts about the practicality (i.e. cost-effectiveness) of bringing universal access to their facilities. Nonetheless, through Section 501 of both ADA and its predecessor, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, we are all required to address accessibility issues whenever buildings are built, renovated or modified. ALA adopted an ADA policy statement only recently (Library services, 2001), but many libraries have worked to provide better access as awareness of disabilities throughout the past century. The keynote speaker at the conference, Barbara Pierce, contributes one of the most important pieces. She relates her childhood experience of having a stereotypically shushing librarian question her right - as a sight-impaired patron - to use the library on her own. She noted that many people with obvious disabilities such as wheelchair users and the blind do not necessarily want patronizing aid given them by well-meaning members of the public or library staff - they should be treated as capable adults "unless by their behavior, a more custodial treatment is appropriate" (ibid. p. 4). Physical barriers are simultaneously the most expensive and easiest to remedy. Attitudes are by far the bigger barrier to full participation in community life (ibid. p. 3).
In the chapter "Issues of building design," Fred Kolflat and Robert Bruce Klug note that the cost of making new buildings accessible is negligible, but retrofitting existing buildings can be very expensive. Michael Howard, in "Historic properties and the ADA," point out that where historic properties are concerned, alterations may destroy the very elements that make the building historic. Yet at all levels of compliance, the means to provide accessibility may exist and still keep costs down or preserve historic character. Design issues to consider include parking, entrances, detectable warnings, ramps and stairs, lavatories, and service desks, as well as wheelchair-accessible furniture and aisle widths. Adaptive technology may be needed (since this conference was held pre-Web, discussion of providing computer access was less extensive than it might have been a few years later). In some cases, better signage alone will make a facility much more accessible.
Some of the chapters include resources lists and an appendix includes an extensive (selected) bibliography. While many excellent articles have appeared since publication of this book (and many of the manufacturers and products listed are outdated), they may provide a good starting point for the reader wishing to do further research. Carolyn Johnson's selected bibliography in "Signage and the ADA" is particularly notable for including a listing of "research studies you can understand[!]" (ibid, p. 52).
Even in the most technical discussions, nearly every author notes that removing physical barriers are only part of compliance. Kolflat and Klug, like Pierce, stress the critical importance in changing staff attitudes to reduce barriers. In the question and answer session (Appendix A), the panel suggests librarians organize workshops for staff and patrons - particularly disabled patrons - to discuss accessibility needs. Pierce, in her keynote address, relates how her childhood librarian (and many others), don't necessarily hear what a disable patron might have say, yet without that conversation, a huge gap may exist between the libraries and their disabled patrons. The panelists recommend that "every person spend at least one day in a wheelchair or on crutches; take an opportunity to spend a day blindfolded" and then debrief to bring awareness of abilities as well as disabilities (ibid, p. 64-65). Through this type of staff education, combined with physical accommodations, we can bring our libraries closer to the ideal of universal access.
Cirillo, S. E. & Danford, R. E. (1996). Library buildings, equipment & the ADA: Compliance issues and solutions. Chicago, Ill.: ALA Editions.
American Library Association. (2001). Library services for people with disabilities policy. Chicago, Ill.: ALA. Retrieved July 20, 2002 from http://www.ala.org/ascla/access_policy.html