Second national accessibility survey: librarians, patrons, and disabilities

Laurie J. Bonnici · Stephanie L. Maatta · Jackie Brodsky · Jennifer Elaine Steele

15 citations0/0 files storedGlobal Knowledge, Memory and Communication

No readable copy stored yet — this record is metadata only.

No open-access location is known for this record yet.

Literature note Cite in a project Citation map

Library Science and Administration Library Science and Information Digital Accessibility for Disabilities

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to determine the state of library services to people with disabilities in the USA since the last study conducted in 2008. Social capital theory provides a lens to reconceptualize equal access in a global context, and to offer insights on the effects of new information technologies for re-envisioning universal access. Strategic alliances with education and human–computer interaction researchers are proposed. Design/methodology/approach – Librarians serving the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH) were surveyed. Questions addressed clientele, services, technologies, career opportunities, leadership, library and information science (LIS) education and librarian demographics. Findings – Human resources, leadership, outreach and out-of-the-box solutions applying mainstream technologies are identified as major challenges to the future of information access for disabled persons through the NLS/BPH system. Research limitations/implications – The survey was limited to librarians serving the NLS/BPH. A similar survey distributed in other nations could expand the possibilities of future research and collaboration. Practical implications – Information from this survey can aid information professionals planning delivery of information services to disabled patrons. Suggestions for shifting from special access to universal access philosophy ensure access for all. Results can also help LIS educators prepare graduates to serve an aging population that will challenge standard methods of information access and services. Originality/value – This study provides the current perspective of services to persons with disabilities compared to findings by the researchers in 2008. Since the first survey in 2008, the service has been updated through a national effort of digitization. This study is the first comparative study of the NLS.

Paper brief

Loading…

Cite this work

Citation unavailable for this work.

BibTeX RIS CSL-JSON

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Citations in this library

Citation map →

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 15 citations exist upstream.

References

2002The Forms of Capital 2005Deaths: preliminary data for 2003.2013Deaths: final data for 2010.2011Deaths: final data for 2008.2013Disability and accessibility in the library and information science literature: A content analysis 2000Usability testing with screen reading technology in a Windows environment 2005Library services for people with disabilities in Argentina 2011Web Accessibility, Libraries, and the Law

Cited by

2020Disability- and Accessibility-Related Library Graduate-School Education from the Student Perspective 2020How Are We Teaching and Dealing with Accessibility? A Survey From Switzerland 2016Realizing Inclusive Digital Library Environments: Opportunities and Challenges 2022What are the options for library and information studies education reform in addressing racial inequity in the library profession in the UK?2023Visually Impaired Usability Requirements for Accessible Mobile Applications: A Checklist for Mobile E-book Applications

Explore the map →

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.

Imported from OpenAlex (CC0) — nothing here is generated.