from the Jan. 2001 Braille Forum - www.acb.org
LOUISVILLE'S PUBLIC LIBRARY
WELCOMES BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PATRONS
by Daveed Mandell
In September, the blind and visually impaired community in Louisville,
Ky., celebrated the first anniversary of an innovative program which
had been initiated a year earlier at the Louisville Free Public
Library. In September 1999, the library became accessible to blind and
visually impaired people when two computers -- complete with adaptive
hardware and software -- were unveiled at the main library on York
Street. In ensuing months, similarly adapted computers were installed
in three other library branches.
Thanks largely to an industrious and unassuming worker in the
library's business reference section, blind and visually impaired
people have become significantly more welcome and visible at the
various library branches where training on accessible computers is now
offered.
Maury Weedman, who as the father of a totally blind son named Jamie,
had become familiar with screen readers and braille embossers, is the
person who turned his ideas about making the public library accessible
to every member of the public into a reality. Speaking at last July's
Library Users of America (LUA) convention in Louisville, Weedman
explained how the project began, and how he became the library's
coordinator of adaptive technology: "I wrote a proposal one day and
went to the director with it, and he said 'Yes,' and that just sort of
started us on our road."
Charlie Harris, the library's manager of information services, told
the LUA gathering, "I'm really, really excited about what we're able
to do with adaptive technology; and I think this is only the
beginning. We're just beginning the journey at the public library, and
we're so excited and so proud to be on the journey."
Of course it wasn't as simple as all that. Grants had to be sought,
and a needs assessment had to be conducted. But according to Weedman
and Harris, grassroots community participation and support kept the
ball rolling. Louisville's mayor and other city officials offered
support and encouragement. The local Library Foundation raised much of
the funding for the project, in addition to procuring a $300,000 grant
from the Gates Foundation. Organizations of and for the blind worked
together to assist the library by promoting the program to the
community of blind people, and advising staff members about which
hardware and software to purchase.
Weedman organized an accessibility team of library staff members at
the various branches to provide blind and visually impaired patrons
with one-on-one training on everything from screen readers and braille
translators, to Microsoft Office and the Internet. The team is also
responsible for ongoing development of the overall program. Harris
pointed out that despite the scheduled staff training sessions, for
the most part, staffpersons have learned how to use access software --
such as JAWS for Windows, Duxbury, Magic and ZoomText -- on their own
through trial and error.
Weedman said the response to the new program has been phenomenal.
Library staff members have been training blind and visually impaired
people, as well as their family members and teachers, four days a week
at the main library, and one day a week at the three branches. There
have been so many requests for technology training that training
sessions must be scheduled two months in advance. Four staff members
provide training at the main library, and one staff member is
available for training at each of the three branches.
Jim Shaw, a blind library patron, said training is tailored to the
needs of each individual, whether one has a vocational, educational or
personal objective in mind. One can receive as little or as much
training as one wants or needs. Shaw said he has had quite a few
two-hour training sessions on accessing various library databases via
the Internet. Thanks to the braille embosser and braille translation
software at the main library, he has also learned how to format and
produce braille documents. In short, Shaw said, he is a very satisfied
patron.
The Louisville Free Public Library is also the home of the city's NLS
sub-regional Talking Book Library, which has around 1,400 patrons.
Because the adaptive technology training staff has access to the
sub-regional's recording studio and duplicating facilities, plans are
afoot to provide individualized training materials and tutorials on
tape, as well as in braille and large print.
While many people ask for training on access technology and software,
very few actually come to the library to use the computers. Weedman
said one reason for this lack of personal computer utilization is
inadequate transportation. When this reporter asked if some of this
reluctance might be the result of a perceived psychological or
attitudinal barrier, Weedman said that, luckily for blind and visually
impaired Louisville residents, librarians have a very positive,
naturally non- threatening attitude toward blind and visually impaired
individuals.
Weedman said the aim of opening up the library to people with
disabilities is not to put them in a separate area and provide them
with some kind of "special" service. Rather, the goal is to integrate
them into the facilities and areas that all other patrons use. Blind
and visually impaired patrons can access library materials with
adaptive equipment, including a scanner, tape player and closed
circuit television. One can find blind patrons performing their own
database and Internet searches, capturing data on computer disks and
converting files to braille or large print. Visually impaired patrons
are able to interact with librarians in the same ways their
non-disabled peers routinely do.
According to Harris, the library has ambitious plans for upgrading and
expanding service to the blind and visually impaired community. It
plans to purchase additional screen readers and optical character
recognition software, and install braille embossers at the three
branch libraries where access equipment is currently located. The
library also plans to expand its training to include most common
application software packages, and to set up accessible computers in
the children's areas.
Shaw said the Louisville Free Public Library has set up a model
program that other communities around the country should emulate.
"I would encourage all of you to go back to your communities and
encourage your libraries to follow suit and to do something similar to
this," he told the LUA gathering.
Last year, when the accessible computers were introduced to
Louisville's blind and visually impaired community, Weedman said he
could sense the intense excitement. "I could tell there was a sigh of
relief. It's like, 'This is our library, too, and you really mean
it!'" Weedman said a psychological barrier had thus been eradicated.
"A curtain had been opened, you know, and I think that, symbolically,
it really was an important thing to do. I mean, it was a very public
commitment made."
For more information about the Louisville Free Public Library's
services for blind and visually impaired patrons, contact Maury
Weedman via snail mail, phone, fax or e-mail, as follows:
Snail Mail Address: Attention: Maury Weedman
Coordinator of Adaptive Technology Louisville Free Public Library 301
York St. Louisville, KY 40203 Phone: (502) 574-1617 Fax: (502)
574-1657 E-mail: [log in to unmask] Web Site: http://www.lfpl.org
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