Disability Action Plan 2002-2004


Background

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 came into effect on 1 March, 1993.  Its purpose is to make discrimination on the basis of disability unlawful, and to ensure that people with a disability have the same fundamental rights as all members of the community, and equal opportunity to have access to, and participate in, community life.

This Action Plan, which replaces the original National Library Disability Action Plan developed in 1997, is a commitment by the National Library of Australia to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.  This Action Plan endorses the Library’s commitment to the principles of workplace diversity and equality of access. 

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 the definition of disability covers physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, neurological and/or learning disabilities. Discrimination against people with a disability is defined as, 'less favourable treatment against somebody because of their disability.....'

This Action Plan is based on the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Commonwealth Disability Strategy 2000.  The Commonwealth Disability Strategy 2000 encourages Commonwealth agencies to :


The National Library as an accessible institution

The National Library has implemented a series of building, service and policy improvements over recent years to facilitate access by people with a disability.  These include:


The Action Plan

The Action Plan sets out a number of specific actions which the National Library is committed to undertaking over the next two years.  These actions will ensure that both employees and users with a disability will not encounter barriers in their dealings with the National Library.

The Action Plan relates to the National Library as an employer, and as a purchaser and provider of goods and services.  These roles are identified in the Commonwealth Disability Strategy 2000 as key areas for the implementation and maintenance of strategies to reduce discrimination for people with a disability.

A number of other key policy and planning documents are relevant to the Action Plan.  These documents reinforce the National Library’s commitment to providing a supportive employment environment, and to ensuring, as far as possible, equality of access to information for all Australians.  These documents are:

Also relevant are the following documents from the Australian Public Service Commission:


The National Library as an Employer

As an employer, the National Library aims to provide a workplace that values the skills and diversity of all employees and addresses the needs of employees with a disability.  Specific actions to be undertaken to maintain and enhance the role of the National Library as an employer include:

Action

Responsibility

Target

Ensure that training courses cater for the needs of employees with a disability when required.

Employment Relations Branch

Ongoing

Ensure all Reading Room staff are trained in and maintain familiarity with specialist equipment provided to meet the needs of people with a disability.

Information Services and specialist reading room managers.

Ongoing

Ensure staff are provided with the opportunity to participate in disability awareness sessions, to improve understanding of issues affecting both users and employees with a disability.

Information Services; Education Services, all managers

At least one such session per year to be run.

Encourage employees to identify as a person with a disability in the Library’s HRMIS database.

All managers

Ongoing

Promote the Disability Action Plan and ensure employees are aware of their responsibilities.

All managers

Ongoing

Ensure the National Library’s Intranet (OurWeb) is accessible to employees with a disability.

Web Services team

Ongoing

Ensure that information for staff on disability issues and services is up-to-date.

Employment Relations Branch

December 2002

Ensure fire wardens are aware of staff in their zone who may need assistance in any emergency, and of appropriate procedures.

All fire wardens

Ongoing

Ensure all staff are aware of and apply Workplace Diversity principles and practices in the workplace.

Employment Relations Branch ; all managers

Ongoing

Ensure staff selection guidelines and practices take into account the needs of people with disabilities, to ensure equal employment opportunity.

Employment Relations Branch

Ongoing

Provide reasonable assistance and adaptations to accommodate the needs of employees with disabilities.

All managers

Ongoing


The Library as a Purchaser

The National Library acquires a range of goods and services to facilitate the carrying out of its core business activities of collecting, preserving and providing access to information resources, and to support resource sharing among libraries and other institutions.

The Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines and Best Practice Guide (http://www.dofa.gov.au/ctc/publications/purchasing/
cpg/commonwealth_procurement_guide.html
) refers to the need for government purchasing to have regard for the principles of the Commonwealth Disability Strategy.  The Library’s own procurement guidelines make reference to the Commonwealth document.

Actions the National Library will take over the next two years to ensure it is meeting its obligations as a purchaser will include:

Action

Responsibility

Target date

Consult with peak bodies and users to assist in the purchase of equipment to meet the needs of users with a disability.

Information Services

Ongoing

Ensure that purchasing and tender documents are available in accessible formats on request.

Contracts and Facilities Branch

Ongoing

Ensure all tender documents and purchasing decisions take into account of the needs of people with a disability when relevant.

Contracts and Facilities Branch, staff undertaking procurement action

Ongoing


The Library as a Service Provider

The National Library is committed to ensuring that its facilities and services are accessible to all Australians.  This includes ensuring all onsite users are able to access material, and remote users are given access to as wide a range as possible of the National Library’s resources. 

The National Library recognises that there are a number of areas where improvements need to be made in order to ensure that users with disabilities are able to take full advantage of the information resources available in the Library. 

The inclusion of specialist equipment in Reading Rooms to assist in the provision of service to users with disabilities requires not only the acquisition and maintenance of the appropriate equipment, but requires that the National Library ensures all relevant staff are familiar with the use of the equipment and undertake regular familiarisation sessions.

Actions to be taken include:

Action

Responsibility

Target date

Investigate the need for a text reading facility in the Main Reading Room and Newspaper Reading Room.

Information Services

December 2002

Research and purchase screen-reader software for use in the Main Reading Room and Newspaper Reading Room, to allow blind and visually impaired users to “read” PC screens.

Information Services

June 2003

Ensure A Guide for Readers and the Service Charter are produced and available in large print versions.

Information Services; Publications

December 2002

Ensure the number and size of magnifying lenses is adequate for each reading room.

Information Services and specialist reading room staff

December 2002

Investigate the purchase of table mounted microform reader/printer to accommodate users in wheelchairs.

Information Services

June 2003

Investigate the feasibility of acquiring speech recognition software for at least one PC in the Main Reading Room and/or the Newspaper Reading Room.

Information Services

June 2003

Acquire PCs with large screens and trackballs for the Main Reading Room and for the Newspaper Reading Room.

Information Services

December 2002

(Main Reading Room large screens installed Jul 2002)

Investigate the need for an Aladdin Genie Pro machine in the Newspaper Reading Room to allow magnified text to be displayed on a PC.

Information Services

December 2002

Consult with individual users, and with disability peak bodies, to ensure needs of library users with a disability are being met.

Information Services

Meet with ACROD before December 2002, and other bodies as necessary.

Consult with other libraries and suitable organisations about assistance to users with a disability.

Information Services

Contact State Library of South Australia re their services (by December 2002) and local university disability support units (by June 2003)

Promote the availability of facilities and services for users with a disability.

Information Services, Education Services

Ongoing

Ensure the National Library’s Website is accessible to people with a disability.

Web Services Team, Public Programs Division

Ongoing

Investigate options for improving access in the Library's new catalogue to collection items in alternative formats

Technical Services

December 2003

Develop policies and guidelines for stylesheet usage that will enable new pages to be created for the Library's website with a Level Double A conformance with the W3C Accessibility Guidelines to the extent that this achievable

Web Services Team

December 2002

Ensure that accessibility issues are considered as part of any upgrade of premises.

Contracts and Facilities Branch

Ongoing

Promote the availability of captioned and subtitled videos in conjunction with ACMI.

Resource Sharing Division

Ongoing

Encourage contributors to Kinetica to identify alternative format materials.

Resource Sharing Division

Ongoing

Reconvene the Forum on Library Services for People with Disabilities and monitor progress on its recommendations.

Director General ; Coordination Support Branch

June 2003

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