Forum on Library Services for People with Disabilities

Academic Libraries (CAUL) Background Paper

Prepared by Sue McKnight, Executive Director, Learning Services & University Librarian, Deakin University for the Forum on Library Services for People with Disabilities, March 2002

Major Issues

There are a number of key issues that confront academic library services for people who have a disability. These are:

  • Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act
  • Compliance with other laws and regulations (Copyright, Building Codes etc)
  • Staff awareness and training to be sensitive to the needs of those with disabilities, and be able to offer appropriate services
  • Knowledge of those staff and students who do require additional assistance from the Library
  • Promotion of library services in ways that ensure that people who have a disability understand what services are available and how to access these.

However, the overarching issue is to ensure inclusive practices, where reasonably possible, so as to make academic (indeed any) library services sensitive to the needs of people who have a disability and to mainstream, rather than have special, services for them.

The issues outlined above are not unique to academic libraries. However, the following discussion will highlight implementation issues in academic libraries.

From an Academic Library Viewpoint

Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

  • Every academic library should have a formal action plan to ensure compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act. This Action Plan should be part of an overall University/TAFE response to the DDA and be submitted to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
  • All policies and services in the Library should be examined, gaining input from people with disabilities, to identify if more inclusive and flexible practices are warranted. People with disabilities need equal amenity and dignity.
  • Loans – flexibility in loan length for items checked-out to those who require a longer loan; physical, timely delivery (and returns) of loans to students and staff who cannot easily come to the Library
  • Retrieval and copying services for those who are physically unable to perform these services themselves.
  • Information/Reference services – multiple access points for receiving professional assistance (in-person, phone, email, fax, print, www, computer conferencing)
  • Information Resources – available in accessible formats (print, electronic formats that enable software to “read” the information, Braille, audio); services to convert information resources into accessible formats if not already available as such, e.g. off-air recording and purchase of videos that includes captions
  • Information literacy training – needs to be in accessible formats and at flexible times
  • Infrastructure – building accessibility (disabled car parking, accessible entry, lifts if a multi-storey building, wide isles, shelving that is reachable from a wheelchair); accessible furniture and technologies (computer equipment suitable wheelchair access, zoom text computer screens, audio loops, DDY DYY phones etc); accessible web pages for all electronic services and resources
  • Recruitment – need to ensure non-discrimination on any grounds

Compliance with other laws and regulations (Copyright, Building Codes etc)

  • The recent amendments to the Copyright Act have enabled academic libraries, under Copyright Agency Limited license, to communicate copyright print material in electronic format to students. However, compliance management is a huge burden.
  • Planning for all new buildings and renovations of academic libraries should take into consideration accessibility issues.

Staff awareness and training to be sensitive to the needs of those with disabilities, and be able to offer appropriate services

  • Academic libraries should conduct regular in-service training on disability awareness, and on the special skills required to provide appropriate services and support to disabled library users (e.g. on adaptive technologies, locating alternative format material)
  • Planning for all new services to take into consideration accessibility issues
  • The culture of academic libraries should be one of service, inclusivity and flexibility
  • Academic libraries staff should be aware of the potential need for communication assistance (e.g. sign interpreters for people who have a hearing disability) and facilitate that assistance if required
  • Academic library safety and emergency evaluation procedures need to ensure that staff and patrons with disabilities are appropriately catered for (e.g. emergency phones are at an accessible height, library staff physically check areas to be evacuated and help those who need assistance, library staff are trained in the correct procedures to follow to ensure the safety of clients with a disability, library staff with disabilities know what procedures will be used to assist them in an evacuation)
  • Library staff need to be aware that there is a wide variety of needs
  • Liaison with the organisation’s Disability Resource Centre (DRC), or equivalent, should be encouraged to maintain an awareness of emerging trends, technologies, issues etc so as to inform library planning, policies, procedures and services.
  • Effective communication is required with any library user, and disability awareness training should highlight the communication issues faced by people with hearing, psychological or intellectual disabilities.

Knowledge of those staff and students who do require additional assistance from the Library

  • Academic libraries need to liaise closely with the organisation’s DRC to ensure that students who require different privileges are accommodated on enrolment/registration. This could require flagging student records in the enrolment management system (privacy legislation permitting) and transferring this information to the library management system to automatically invoke more flexible loan policies.
  • Library staff need to be aware that some staff and students may NOT register with the DRC and yet may require some assistance.
  • Academic libraries should establish a liaison librarian position to assist staff and students with disabilities, in a similar way that faculty or discipline librarians operate. This person would also be the primary liaison person for the DRC and for the other library staff.

Promotion of library services in ways that ensure that people who have a disability understand what services are available and how to access these

  • Signage in academic libraries needs to be clear and easily understood.
  • Academic library promotional library materials should include information on the inclusive and flexible services offered and who to contact if additional assistance is required.
  • Orientation tours and lectures need to be inclusive.
  • At the commencement of each semester, liaison with the DRC is required to make sure students who have different needs are assisted.

Challenges for the Academic Library

  • Whose role is it to provide accessible curriculum support material? The Library traditionally provided Reserve Collections with photocopies of articles, lecture notes etc that are provided by the lecturer. Does the Library absorb the cost of ensuring accessibility of these materials? Or is it the responsibility of the lecturer?
  • It is very difficult to plan or budget effectively for ensuring accessible information resources as the Library has no control over the number of students with disabilities that may be enrolled in any semester, or what units they will study. Institutional funding, rather than library funding, should be provided.
  • Obtaining information resources in a timeframe that enables conversion into accessible formats and delivery to the students in time for their studies

Recommendations

  • Further amend the Copyright Act to simplify compliance management, to enable the storage of an electronic document after it has been communicated if there is likelihood that it will be required again
  • Investigate the feasibility of establishing a national electronic database of resources in accessible formats that can be available to disabled students at any Australian university
  • Encourage libraries to include information in note fields of catalogue records about the presence of captions and subtitles on videos so that this information becomes searchable. Although captions and subtitles are often included for other reasons (eg to provide translations of the sound track) this information is useful for the hearing impaired.
  • Continue to liaise with publishers to obtain electronic versions of textbooks in the first instance, to save costs of scanning
  • Software developers be encouraged to create affordable applications that can convert non-accessible electronic formats into accessible formats

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