library access for all
DESCRIPTION
Advantages and methods for supporting library use by people with physical and intellectual disabilitiesTRANSCRIPT
Easy Access for ALL
Kathleen Biersdorff, Ph.D.K. K. Biersdorff Consulting
Supporting Organizational Excellence & Innovation
May 16, 2005Westlock, AB
My Main Point
Anything you do that increases accessibility for ONE group benefits EVERYONE. Curb cuts & ramps
Kinds of accessibility
Physical space Financial affordability Procedural rules Information understandability Emotional availability
Physical space
Doors to building and washrooms
Height of information Display boards Shelves
Computers
Aisles Width Obstacles
Financial affordability
Library membership fees
Computer access Time charges Printing charges
Fines Late fees Canceling inter-library loans/holds
Procedural rules How to get a library membership Rules about noise How to borrow materials
How to use the computer
Late fees
Step-by-step instructions with photos of successive screens Large print (and how to get it) Talking computers Mouse control
Information understandability What does this mean?
During the several hundred years since the time of Robert Hooke, the “scientific” view of cells, defined by the prevailing cell concept at any particular time, has changed dramatically. As long as cells were thought of as hollow spaces within tissues, they could not be thought of as the basic building blocks of which tissues were composed. As long as the production of progeny cells during cell division was believed to involve direct reproduction of all the cell contents, the role of the nucleus and genetic material in cell division could not be discovered.
Information understandability
How did reading it make you feel? Someone else’s jargon
• Frustrated
Should understand it • Incompetent
Canadian Literacy in 2003Competence Levels
Description What They Understand
~% of Population
Level 1 Difficult to reach with printed materials. 15%
Level 2 Need simple text.Rely on others.
“You may have to go to court.” Grade 1
27%
Level 3 Functional, depends on context.Maintain skills through practice.
“You have to declare the full value of the item.” Grade 6
37%
Levels 4 & 5 Deal easily with a wide range of complex materials.
“Under NAFTA, customs restrictions continue to apply to vehicles imported from Mexico until the year 2009.” Grade 16
21%
Plain language
“Plain language is a ramp for people with learning difficulties.”
How to do it Readability analysis built into
word processing programs.
Some basic rules to follow…
Focus group with your intended audience.
Plain language rules Active voice (subject first). Short, simple words – but not lots
the same length or shape in a row. No contractions. No jargon unless explained. No metaphors or clichés. No acronyms.
“Finding and shipping items that are not picked up or cancelled by customers impacts the library’s already limited resources and makes waiting lists longer for everyone.”
Plain language rules
No Roman Numerals in outlines. Turn hyphenation off. Break lines with reading aloud in
mind. Make periods big and bold. DO NOT CAPITALIZE EVERYTHING. Do not use full justification.
Left-justify text.
Plain language rules
Use 16 pt font or larger, depending on viewing distance.
Use a clean font – not Script. Serif – Times Roman Sans Serif – Arial, Verdana or
Helvetica S culpte d – Za pf Huma nis t or Optima
Black on white is easiest to read.
Plain pictures
Support text with pictures that are Realistic, not stylized.
Interpreted to mean what you hoped.
Complete (faces have features).
Adult, not cutesy or childish.
Emotionally available
Perception of your job as librarian: Sign out materials &
reshelve books.
Make your role clear.
Help people access information.• “I don’t want to be a bother.”• “The librarian is busy working.”• “I should be able to find/do it myself.”
Resources
Physical AccessibilityUniversal Access: Electronic Resources in Libraries. http://www.washington.edu/doit/UA/PRESENT/http://www.washington.edu/doit/UA/PRESENT/libres.html http://www.washington.edu/doit/UA/PRESENT/libwt.htmlhttp://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/equal_access_lib.htmlTexas accessibility standards & architectural barriers http://www.license.state.tx.us/ab/tas/abtas.htm
LiteracyLearning a living: First results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey.
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-603-XIE/2005001/pdf/89-603-XW3-part1.pdfLiteracy Alberta Fact Sheets. www.literacy-alberta.ca/literacy.htm
Plain LanguageMessage sent, message received: A plain language approach to communication. Rehabilitation Review 7(12). Call Tighe
Resource Centre at Vocational & Rehabilitation Research Institute (VRRI) for a free copy (403) 284-1121.What works and what doesn’t: More on plain language. www.vrri.org/rhb0201.htmPlain language: Making it look good. www.vrri.org/rhb0301.htmJanet Pringle (plain language writer/editor). Call (403) 277-2806 or e-mail [email protected]
Plain PicturesCreating useful pictures for plain language material. www.vrri.org/rhb08b98.htm
ReadabilityColin Wheildon. (1995). Type & Layout: How typography and design can get your message across - or get in the way.
Berkeley, CA: Strathmore Press. (ISBN 0-9624891-5-8)
Internet Use by People with Developmental DisabilitiesHarnessing the power of computers to better the lives of people with developmental disabilities. www.vrri.org/rhb0197.htmSelf-advocates explore the Internet. www.vrri.org/rhb0598.htmAbleLink Technologies. www.ablelinktech.com