Accessibility
Resources related to disabilities.
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American with Disabilities Act (ADA) | Blind and Print Disabilities | Deaf or Hard of Hearing | Universal Access | Virtual Accessibility
American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- -- The page includes information on Law/Regulations, Design Standards, Technical Assistance Materials, and Enforcement
- --Through a network of ten regional centers, the ADA National Network offers training opportunities and guidance in matters related to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- -- US Department of Health and Human Services, Section 508 for accessible websites. Includes checklists for the accessibility of various file types linked on the web.
- -- GSA Government-wide IT Accessibility Program. Includes information on procurement and training.
- -- The ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵCouncil updated the policy B.2.1.21 in 2018. The original 2001 policy was written by the Americans with Disabilities Act Assembly, a representational group administered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), now known as the Association of Specialized, Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA).
- --A federal agency that writes the accessible design standards for physical spaces, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, medical diagnostic equipment, and information technology.
- -- The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is the only non-regulatory federal agency that promotes policies and coordinates with employers and all levels of government to increase workplace success for people with disabilities.
Blind, Low Vision, and Print Disabilities
National Library Service
- -- A division of the Library of Congress, NLS administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail. Material may also be downloaded through NLS’ Braille and Audio Reading Download System (BARD)
- -- Available from the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵstore in print, as an eBook, or as print/eBook bundle.
IFLA Resources
- -- Download a copy in PDF, MS Word or Epub. When member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities in 2013, they committed to removing legal barriers to accessing books and other reading material for people who are blind, are partially sighted or have other print disabilities, such as dyslexia.
- -- Includes reports, guidelines, newsletters, etc. from the IFLA section. Includes the IFLA Manifesto for libraries serving persons with a print disability, 2012
Resources and Products
- --A partnership between major book publishers, the Accesstext Network allow colleges and universities to access digital files of material for students with disabilities.
- – Nationwide organization of blind Americans, programs and information including Audio Description Project, ACB Radio, and other resources.
- – Non-profit creating accessible learning experiences through educational, workplace, and independent living products and services.
- -- Bookshare collects the digital files of books provided by publishers. These digital files are converted to synthetic voice/text to speech and electronic braille formats and provided as downloadable files to eligible subscribers.
- – Learning opportunities that empower adults with vision loss or blindness to thrive at home, at work, or in their communities.
- – A question-and-answer reference service provided by professional librarians at talking book and braille libraries for people with print disabilities.
- – Dyslexia resources for individuals, families, and professionals.
- – Books available online in an accessible format.
- --A non-profit providing instructional material in audio formats to students with disabilities that prevent them from reading standard print.
- – Offers programs, materials, and technology supporting braille literacy.
- – Nationwide organization of blind Americans, programs and information including the Independence Market, NFB Newsline, and other resources.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- -- The Deaf Culture Forum, was a half day event to bring the library culture and the deaf culture together. This resource includes the agenda, handouts, PowerPoints and Captioning text for the presentations.
- - National Resources and Directories is one of twenty topics relating to the Deaf in the Info-To-Go section. The organizations listed are all national and non-profit and provide information on people who are deaf and hard of hearing and/or specific professional or consumer areas of interest.
- -- Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library is the first statewide deaf focused library program.
- -- A National Association of the Deaf (NAD) resource and education center providing deaf-related information regarding culture, history, and the arts.
- - The NIDCD Directory lists selected national organizations that provide information on communication disorders. Many have local or state affiliates to seek information, speakers, and partnerships.
- --a collective resource document curated by ALA's Bridging Deaf Cultures Interest Group, including communication tips, professional development, Interpreter Services networks, and helpful equipment links.
Universal Access
- Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII) is a project of Raising the Floor, a consortium of academic, industry, and non-governmental organizations and individuals. Its purpose is to ensure that everyone who faces accessibility barriers due to disability, literacy, digital literacy, or aging, regardless of economic resources, can access and use the Internet and all its information, communities, and services for education, employment, daily living, civic participation, health, and safety. The GPII will introduce automatic personalization of user interfaces and user context adaptation based on user preferences. Each information and communication technology (ICT) device will be able to instantly change to fit users as they encounter the device, rather than requiring users to figure out how to adapt, configure or install access features they need. For more information please go here:
- is an international coalition of individuals and organizations working to ensure that the Internet, and everything available through it, is accessible to people experiencing accessibility barriers due to disability, literacy, or age.
- is committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages, abilities and cultures through excellence in design. Services include education on universal or human-centered design, consulting, design, and research.
Virtual Accessibility
- -- Web accessibility evaluation tools that help you determine if web content meets accessibility guidelines. This page provides a list of evaluation tools that you can filter to find ones that match your particular needs.
- --Helps you check if your page is accessible to people with disabilities. Wave is commercial product and can be used to check multiple pages or a whole website.
- --The W3C is the international standards-setting organization for the World Wide Web. As such, it has issued comprehensive standards that ensure an accessible web presence known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- (LAA) advocates for improving library e-resource accessibility through education, toolkit and resource curation