Online course: Improving Library Services to People with Disabilities

Improving Library Services to People with Disabilities

Course Dates: October 14 through November 10, 2013 featuring two Live Online Sessions using FlashChat in Moodle (Chat 1: Thursday, October 24, 3-4 pm Central Time; Chat 2: Thursday, November 7, 3-4 pm Central Time).

Course Description: Library services to people with disabilities are provided by all levels of library staff.  From the part-time aide charging out library materials to the library director determining policies, staff skills and attitudes are crucial for a satisfactory library experience.

All libraries have a plan for serving people with disabilities, whether it is the installation of ramps or the creation of special needs story times. But improvements are always possible.

Library staff who enroll will review the current level of service to people with disabilities then explore materials and sources that provide additional support or new ideas. 

Who Should Take This Course: This course is designed for all library staff, including support staff, general professional staff, age-level or subject specialists, managers and administrators.

Course Objectives:

1. Library staff will identify patrons with disabilities who use the library and the resources that are available to assist them.
2. Library staff will examine changes in attitudes, laws and technologies that have impacted people with disabilities.
3. Library staff will demonstrate communication with people-first language and non-verbal techniques.
4. Library staff will recommend changes in personal and organizational behaviors to improve services for people with disabilities.

Course Outline:

Week 1: 

• Visible or invisible:  who are the people with disabilities?

Week 2:

• What has changed?  Attitudes, laws and practices affecting services to people with disabilities.
• Communication:  etiquette, alternative communication and people-first language.

Week 3:

• Didn’t know we had that:  discovering assistive technology already available at your library.

Week 4:

• Know the rules:  applying policies and procedures of your library.
• One step forward:  share one personal goal and one organizational change that you would recommend to improve service in your library for people with disabilities.

Course participants who complete four assignments and two discussion postings will receive a certificate of completion from ASCLA.

Instructor: Kate Todd has worked as a children’s librarian for The New York Public Library and as Emerging Technologies Librarian for Manhattanville College.  At Manhattanville College, she taught “Technology for Special Education” in the graduate School of Education. She has taught several online courses for ALSC (Association of Library Services to Children), including “Children with Disabilities in the Library.” Kate is currently working on independent projects, including online instruction for ALA. Her interests include online learning, educational games, library services for people with disabilities and readability/leveling strategies.

Registration Information: Registration limit for each session: 30; registrations for this session will no longer be accepted once the 30 student limit is reached.

Registration Fees:

• $150 for ASCLA members
• $195 for ALA members
• $230 for non-ALA members
• $120 for student members and retired members

Register Online, by fax (download, complete, & fax PDF form to (312) 280-1538), or mail (download, complete, and mail PDF form to American Library Association, ATTN: MACS/Online CE Registration, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611