Developing a Library Accessibility Plan : A Practical Guide for Librarians

This book provides experienced and detailed research-based guidance for library professionals charged with creating a comprehensive accessibility plan for their organization. This practical guide is designed to help librarians understand the challenging issues often inherent in the different types of accessibility barriers.

Developing a Library Accessibility Plan: A Practical Guide for Librarians provides library professionals with the knowledge, tools and templates, and practical examples necessary for developing a tailored and comprehensive accessibility plan for their institution.

Part One provides foundational knowledge about disability experiences in libraries, including an overview of existing legislation and a breakdown of the disability community in the United States. This part also names and defines the impact of different accessibility barriers within online, physical, and instructional settings for different populations.

Part Two outlines the initial stages of a developing a comprehensive plan for resolving accessibility issues. These chapters in this part include a discussion on conducting an environmental scan / inventory of existing problems, identifying potential partners in the resolution of said problems, and how to prioritize which projects.

Part Three provides several practical, real life examples of projects and initiatives drawn from the author''s professional experiences. These case studies offer a summary of each accessibility project along the corresponding impact, finished by an analysis of "lessons learned" from the experience. A copy of all tools, templates, and other planning documents are available in the chapter itself.

The book will help readers understand how to inventory, prioritize, plan, implement, and assess a comprehensive improvement plan for electronic, physical, and instructional and/or programming-related accessibility issues within their library.