Hi.  My name is Denise and I work with the garment industry.  I am
developing accessible on-line catalogs and training programs for the retail
environment.  If anyone could check out www.walmart.com and let me know how
speech friendly the site is , I would greatly appriciate it.
Thanks for your input.
Denise
-----Original Message-----
From: Kelly Pierce <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 5:45 AM
Subject: edu: Living well with a disability: how libraries can help.


>For those groups working on library access issues, this article provides a
>great overview of the many services public libraries can offer people with
>disabilities.
>
>kelly
>
> American Libraries, Nov 1998 v29 i10 p52(1)
>Living well with a disability: how libraries can help.
>
>Julie Klauber.
>Abstract: Disabled persons need information to be able cope with society.
>Libraries are helping them through a number of ways. These include
>providing physically accessible buildings, assistive technology and
>guidance to specialized resources.
>
>Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1998 American Library Association
>
>PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NEED INFORMATION TO HELP THEM LIVE, LOVE, LEARN,
>WORK, AND PLAY IN THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY
>
>If you discovered that 20% of the people in your community were Chinese,
>you'd probably reach out to them - buy Chinese books and magazines, offer
>Chinese cultural programs, and provide information about learning English
>and becoming a citizen. If your library was located in an artists'
>community and 20% of its residents were artists, you'd want to make sure
>that your art collection was strong and that your exhibits were
>appropriate. If there were many new housing developments in your community
>and 20% of the families had young children, you'd probably have lots of
>books, magazines, and videos on parenting and you might offer "mommy and
>me" programs.
>
>Did you know that approximately 20% of the people in your community have a
>disability? People with disabilities constitute the largest minority in the
>country, crossing all socioeconomic classes and ethnic groups. According to
>census statistics, over 50 million Americans - one out of every five people
>- have some kind of disability that interferes with their ability to
>perform everyday activities. Of course, you may not notice this many people
>with disabilities in your community; disabilities such as hearing
>impairments, heart conditions, and learning disabilities are not visible.
>Ask yourself what services your library provides for this 20% of its
>community.
>
>Every day, people with disabilities are discharged from doctors' offices
>and hospitals with a litany of medical precautions and virtually no
>practical information about how to get on with their lives. One of the most
>important things libraries can do is provide information to help them live,
>love, learn, work, and play in the mainstream of society.
>
>Valerie's story
>
>Valerie Lewis is a typical example, and she is a librarian as well at the
>Suffolk Cooperative Library System in New York. Valerie became legally
>blind when she was 19 years old, the result of complications from diabetes.
>Her eye doctor sent her home with an almost useless pair of eyeglasses and
>directives about taking care of her diabetes and returning for regular
>checkups. She lost her job as a cashier and her newly earned driver's
>license. She sat home doing nothing, supported by a single mother who
>worked as a waitress in a diner.
>
>Two years later, Valerie's mother noticed a woman in the diner who was
>reading a menu with a special pair of eyeglasses that had a small,
>binocular-like device affixed to one of the lenses. "Do those glasses help
>you read? Where did you get them?" her morn asked. The woman explained that
>she was legally blind and that she received the optical aid as well as a
>host of other services from the state commission for the blind, an agency
>that neither Valerie nor her mother had ever been told about.
>
>Valerie contacted the commission, which arranged for a complete evaluation.
>She received optical devices to help her use her remaining vision, mobility
>training to help her get around, and rehabilitation training to help her
>perform everyday activities independently. The commission paid for her
>college education, helped support her graduate studies, and provided her
>with a large-print and talking computer to do her work.
>
>Today, Valerie has an MLS degree and a full-time job helping people with
>disabilities access reading materials and other library services. She uses
>the same computer programs that her colleagues use to search the OPAC, the
>Internet, and other reference tools. She travels across the county to
>advise public libraries on how they can enhance their services. She does
>outreach presentations for community groups, and conducts educational
>programs for children in public libraries. Most of all, she connects people
>with disabilities to organizations, agencies, books, magazines, videos,
>products, and other resources that can help them live independently.
>
>Were it not for an accidental encounter in a diner, Valerie Lewis might
>still be sitting home. Unfortunately, Valerie's story is far from unique -
>and there are lots of Valeries still sitting home. Libraries can play an
>instrumental role in breaking this information barrier by providing good,
>positive, practical information to help people cope with disabilities.
>
>A daunting task, even for a librarian
>
>There are many resources that can help individuals with disabilities live
>independently. There are government agencies and nonprofit organizations
>that provide services to help them live productive lives. There are books
>and videos that explain how to design or renovate homes for accessibility.
>Specialized travel guides describe accessible accommodations and sights
>from Disney World to the Far East. There are materials about finding and
>adapting to jobs, parenting children with disabilities (and being a parent
>who has a disability), participating in sports, making love, wheelchair
>gardening, finding specialized scholarships and financial aid, and
>advocating for one's rights. Guides to using computers and adaptive
>technology, as well as catalogs from companies that distribute adaptive
>devices, help people with disabilities learn about new products for work,
>school, and home. Many of these materials are free or inexpensive.
>
>Unfortunately, many people with disabilities (and the health and social
>service providers who work with them) are unaware of these resources, and
>libraries do not often contain them. Many publications designed to help
>people with disabilities are published by small private presses or
>nonprofit agencies that lack the funds or expertise to promote them. These
>resources are rarely covered by traditional library reviewing sources.
>
>Finding out about them can be daunting, even for a librarian. In 1993, my
>husband and I founded the nonprofit organization Disability Resources to
>disseminate information about these resources to service providers
>throughout the country. The organization's cornerstone publication,
>Disability Resources Monthly (DRM): The Newsletter That Monitors, Reviews
>and Reports on Resources for Independent Living, is the only one of its
>kind. It is currently being distributed free of charge to 2,000 public
>libraries in the U.S., thanks to a grant from the Paralyzed Veterans of
>America Spinal Cord Injury Education and Training Foundation. Each issue
>includes a special collection development guide on spinal cord injury for
>public libraries.
>
>In addition, librarians can find out about pertinent resources by getting
>on the mailing lists of as many organizations as possible; the Encyclopedia
>of Associations and Elizabeth H. Oakes and John Bradford's Resources for
>People with Disabilities: A National Directory (Ferguson Pub. Co., 1998)
>are good places to start. Wilma Sweeney's The Special-Needs Reading List:
>An Annotated Guide to the Best Publications for Parents and Professionals
>(Woodbine House, 1998) is an excellent collection development tool for
>parent and professional collections in public, school, academic, and
>special libraries. Disability magazines such as New Mobility, Mainstream,
>Enable, We, Exceptional Parent, and Accent on Living often feature useful
>book reviews, announcements, and advertisements.
>
>The Internet is a wonderful source for information about independent
>living, and libraries should include appropriate links on their own topical
>Web pages. Check "The DRM Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet" at
>www.disabilityresources.org for an easy-to-use subject guide to hundreds of
>the best sites, a geographical guide to state and local Web sites, and
>information for librarians.
>
>First things first: Physical access
>
>Of course, all the information in the world is meaningless unless the
>people who need it can get to it. Librarians need to be sure that their
>buildings are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
>and other regulations, and that the auxiliary aids and services required by
>the ADA are readily available. Alternate methods of service delivery such
>as homebound programs, books by mail, and fax or e-mail may benefit
>individuals who cannot get to the library because of their disability.
>
>Today, assistive technology can help people who could never before take
>advantage of traditional library materials. Individuals who are blind or
>visually impaired can now read virtually any item in the library with the
>help of electronic magnifiers that enlarge print more than 40 times,
>machines that read printed matter aloud, and computer hardware and software
>that enlarge print, speak, and produce braille.
>
>Of course, the library's online catalog should be accessible, as should at
>least one Internet workstation. Since many specialized software programs do
>not work well with graphic Web design, libraries should design their own
>home pages so that they are easy to use with adapted computers. A list of
>sites that provide guidance on accessible Web design can be found at
>www.disabilityresources.org/WEB.html.
>
>There are also products to make library resources more accessible to
>individuals with physical disabilities, such as page-turning devices,
>modified keyboards, and speech input. People who are deaf or
>hard-of-hearing can take advantage of informational programs with the use
>of sign-language interpreters, real-time captioning, assistive listening
>devices, and printed scripts. Good signage is essential for people with
>hearing, learning, and visual impairments.
>
>Most important, library staff should receive appropriate training so that
>they can interact and communicate comfortably and effectively with people
>who have disabilities. Stereotypes, assumptions, ignorance, and poor
>disability etiquette can create ill will, and can turn people with
>disabilities away from libraries. They can also cause misunderstandings
>that may result in grievances, legal actions, and negative publicity.
>
>Some recommended resources are Courtney Deines-Jones and Connie Van Fleet's
>Preparing Staff to Serve Patrons with Disabilities (Neal-Schuman, 1995) and
>Ray Turner's Library Patrons with Disabilities (White Buffalo Press, 1996).
>A new book on assistive technology in libraries by Barbara Mates is
>scheduled to be published by ALA in April 1999.
>
>Reaching out
>
>Having information and making it accessible will not alone bring people
>with disabilities into the library. Library staff should work closely with
>local organizations to let people with disabilities know that these
>resources are available. In Suffolk County, such cooperation has resulted
>in many programs. For example, the county's independent living center has
>conducted programs on the legal rights of people with disabilities and
>workshops for parents of children with disabilities. Several Suffolk
>libraries have collections of specially adapted toys for children with
>disabilities. The local assistive technology center has brought traveling
>collections of such toys to other libraries on a rotating basis.
>Cooperation with a regional telephone company resulted in an ongoing
>service that brings people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to local
>libraries to borrow special telephone equipment.
>
>People with disabilities represent a significant proportion of every
>library's constituents. With appropriate information, accessibility, and
>outreach, libraries can and should help these individuals bridge the gap
>between surviving and thriving.
>
>Quality of Life
>
>Libraries can make a difference by offering:
>
>* Physically accessible buildings.
>
>* Staff trained to interact effectively with people with disabilities.
>
>* Assistive technology.
>
>* Guidance to specialized resources.
>
>
>VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
>To join or leave the list, send a message to
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>
>


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html