This 6-week e-course will take you through all aspects of making your library accessible to patrons with disabilities by going beyond ramps and accessible bathroom stalls. Along with building a base knowledge of disability, ableism, and accessibility, this course covers topics such as disability etiquette, teen mental health, and disability in the workplace. Through weekly reading and optional live Zoom meetings, participants will gain deeper understanding of disability services and actionable strategies for making the library more accessible. A project participants will develop during the last three weeks of the class will offer opportunities for real world practice and an opportunity to be published on the YALSAblog and/or the YALSA Programming HQ.
Students in the course should expect to spend about 2 hours per week on course content.
Takeaways
An understanding of disability services and actionable strategies for making the library more accessible.
Who Should Attend
- Library school students
- Library staff in school or public libraries
- Library administrators
Instructor
Vera Elwood is Outreach Librarian for the Hays Public Library in Hays, Kansas and a person with multiple disabilities. Vera previously worked as a disability consultant for a national marketing company. Vera presented about working with patrons with disabilities at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference, the 2017 YALSA Symposium, Louisville Public Library, and the Northeast Ohio Library System. She combines educational, professional, and personal experiences to bring a unique perspective to disability advocacy.
Registration
Cost
- $130 for YALSA members
- $175 for ALA members
- $210 for non-ALA members
- $100 for student members and retired members
How to Register
Registration available on the ALA online course website.
Tech Requirements
The course will be hosted on Canvas and will use Zoom for optional asynchronous sessions.
Contact Hours
A certificate of participation will be available for those who complete the final course project.
Contact
For more information contact, Linda W. Braun, YALSA CE Consultant, lbraun@leonline.com or 917 847 7804.