July 18, 2002
McNulty, T., ed. (1999). Accessible libraries on campus: a practical guide for the creation of disabilities-friendly libraries. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an individual with a disability is a person who:
- has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
- has a record of such an impairment; or
- is regarded as having such an impairment.
(adapted from the ADA Technical Assistance Program's What is ADA)
The number of disabled individuals using libraries on college campuses around the country have risen dramatically from the early 1960s, when a "survey of 92 mid-western colleges and campuses noted that 62 institutions would not accept wheel-chair bound students" (Angel, 1969; quoted in McNulty, 1999, p. 7). Tom McNulty's Accessible Libraries on Campus: A Practical Guide for the Creation of Disabilities-Friendly Libraries (1999) aims to help both library designers and those who make decision about collections and technology in creating libraries that are open and fully usable by people of all abilities. Published by the Association of College and Research Libraries, it is, as the title states, directed toward academic libraries, but contains information and guidelines helpful in other types of libraries as well.
In McNulty's overview, "Disability in Higher Education," he traces the development of educational services for people with disabilities from the eighteenth century to the present day. He notes that the French philosophers of the Enlightenment - including Voltaire, Rousseau and particularly Diderot - laid the groundwork for creating educational opportunities for disabled individuals and more importantly, "a belief in the importance of universal basic education for all citizens" (McNulty, 1999, p. 2).
McNulty discusses the definition of disability and a note that what constitutes disability has changed over time. The strictly medical definition changed to the idea that disability is an economic condition: "a health-related inability of limitation on the amount or kind of work that can be performed" (Hahn, 1985, p. 90; quoted in McNulty, 1999, p. 5). This definition served as the basis for many of the federal laws in the first half of the 20th century, but has now been replaced by a sociopolitical definition that stresses the structure of the social environment as a barrier rather than the inability of a disabled person to adapt to society (Hahn, p. 93).
McNulty points out that the courts have generally taken a restrictive view of what constitutes disability. Nonetheless, many academic institutions have in the past three decades, moved to accommodate a wider range of students, spurred in part by ADA's predecessor, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (particularly Section 504, which deals with higher education. ADA extends the Rehabilitation Act's efforts to mainstream people with disabilities to include the civil rights component of banning discrimination - similar to those acts dealing with gender, racial and ethnic identity (McNulty, 1999, p. 11). How individual institutions institute ADA varies, but they are now required by law to provide access to their programs and services to individuals with disabilities (McNulty, p. 15).
In the sections following McNulty's introduction, writers focus primarily on assistive technology. One section deals with providing universal access to facilities, especially designing for effective wayfinding by all users, including signage, maps and architectural layout. The remaining sections are concerned largely with methods of connecting disabled users with computers and computer applications, utilizing such tools as screen readers and accessible web design. They also cover current developments in the more traditional field of accessible text formats that include large-print, Braille and talking books.
McNulty points out that technology is only one aspect of library access; well-trained staff, a good array of offerings and proper library orientation might prove more valuable to the disabled user than any technology (McNulty, p. 15). To this end, some sections discuss staff and staff training in the context of various types of disabilities. Dawn A. Suvino and Janice O'Connor, in their "Access systems for blind and partially sighted PC users: an overview," note that staff must be trained and available to support adaptive equipment: "At least one trained staff person should be available during all regular business hours to ensure equal access to the facility for those with disabilities" (ibid, p. 74). Although they are writing in the context of sight disabilities, their dictum obviously applies to any type of assistive technologies or services.
In the final section, "Training professional and support staff members," Courtney Deines-Jones specifically addresses the people aspect of providing universal service. She stresses the importance of meeting the spirit of ADA and not just the letter of the law. She notes that each academic library will have unique needs and resources. Librarians can develop appropriate strategies by:
(McNulty, p. 148)
To address the most serious barrier to full services for disabled patrons, attitudinal training is crucial; if staff make disabled patrons uncomfortable, those patrons may not return. Facilities, service and legal training are also important. For all types, an ongoing training program will help ensure that disabled patrons and the entire user community can enjoy "continuously improving service" (ibid, p.160).
Although some of the specific products described in this book may have been superseded or no longer available, McNulty has compiled a practical reference work for anyone interested in improving library services to disabled users ranging from adolescent to the elderly. Many of the strategies could be applicable to any library despite the focus on academic libraries. A 1997 U.S. Census Bureau survey estimated that nearly 20% of the U.S. population was disabled; as the nation ages and as the stigma of disability fades, that number will surely grow, and with it, the need for better library and information access for all.
Americans with disabilities: 1997. (2001). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2002, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disable/sipp/disable97.html
Angel, J. L. (1969). Employment opportunities for the handicapped. New York: World Trade Academy Press.
Hahn, H. (1985, October). "Toward a politics of disability: definitions, disciplines, and policies." Social Science Journal, 22(4), 87-105.
McNulty, T., ed. (1999). Accessible libraries on campus: a practical guide for the creation of disabilities-friendly libraries. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.
What is the ADA: Definition of Disability. (2001). McLean, Va.: ADA Technical Assistance Program. Retrieved July 17, 2002, from http://www.adata.org/whatsada-definition.html