Harold,

I am a new librarian at the University of South Dakota.  Recently I was given the responsibility of being the library representative for special populations (which covers a wide range of students).  I've followed your posts on the listserv, and I've also searched widely on the Internet and in traditional sources for information on how best to offer services to individuals with special challenges.  I would be grateful if you could offer any insight into what would make a public academic library better in regard to services related to ADA.  Thank you!  --Chris

Chris Bloss

Assistant Professor and

Instructional Services Librarian

I. D. Weeks Library

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD 57069

Office:  (605) 677-6615

Fax:  (605) 677-5488

-----Original Message-----
From: Harold A. Maio [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 2:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Syllabus Magazine writing about adaptive technology

In a message dated 7/11/2002 2:38:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

Students are reluctant to identify themselves
as learning disabled...

My first job would be to discover who introduced that word! And what its effect on people seeking help is.

I

have known many people in my teaching days who had learning dis-abilities, but not one who was disabled by them. People are reluctant to apply labels to ourselves, and hopefully people in education would know that. Unfortuntely, too many do not.

When someone declines to seek help, perhaps someone needs to advise the helper on better ways of communicating.

Harold A. Maio