Introduction to Accessibility and Universal Design in Libraries

$250.00

Dates: May 6 - June 2

Credits: 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

Approximately 15% of the population worldwide live with some type of disability, making individuals with disabilities an important and often underserved constituency for libraries. Despite this, many libraries overlook simple and affordable measures that could improve their accessibility. In this course, you will learn concrete techniques for improving your library’s accessibility for individuals with a wide range of disabilities. You will learn the meaning of accessibility and universal design and how these apply in a library setting through a combination of readings, hands-on exercises, online discussions, and demonstration videos.

Students who complete the assignments will have concrete ideas for integrating accessibility and universal design principles into library workflows. This four-week course will cover techniques and tools improving the accessibility of digital media content and making your library more inviting and inclusive for individuals with disabilities, with a particular focus on free tools. It also includes an overview of basic web accessibility topics. Participants who are currently working in libraries will leave the course with documents and resources that they can take back to their workplace.

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define accessibility and universal design
  • Integrate accessibility and universal design into workflows at their libraries
  • Evaluate and improve online accessibility
  • Identify tools that can be used for testing website accessibility
  • Write an accessibility policy
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Course Information

Session

Credits

1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

Registration dates

We accept registrations through the first week of classes, unless enrollment is full, and unless the class was canceled before it started due to low enrollment.

Course Description

Approximately 15% of the population worldwide live with some type of disability, making individuals with disabilities an important and often underserved constituency for libraries. Despite this, many libraries overlook simple and affordable measures that could improve their accessibility. In this course, you will learn concrete techniques for improving your library’s accessibility for individuals with a wide range of disabilities. You will learn the meaning of accessibility and universal design and how these apply in a library setting through a combination of readings, hands-on exercises, online discussions, and demonstration videos.

Students who complete the assignments will have concrete ideas for integrating accessibility and universal design principles into library workflows. This four-week course will cover techniques and tools improving the accessibility of digital media content and making your library more inviting and inclusive for individuals with disabilities, with a particular focus on free tools. It also includes an overview of basic web accessibility topics. Participants who are currently working in libraries will leave the course with documents and resources that they can take back to their workplace.

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define accessibility and universal design
  • Integrate accessibility and universal design into workflows at their libraries
  • Evaluate and improve online accessibility
  • Identify tools that can be used for testing website accessibility
  • Write an accessibility policy

Carli Spina

Carli SpinaCarli Spina is an associate professor and the Head of Research & Instructional Services at the library at SUNY's Fashion Institute of Technology. Previously, she was the Head Librarian, Assessment and Outreach at the Boston College Libraries. Carli holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, an MLIS from Simmons GSLIS, and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has extensive experience working on user experience, web design, and technology projects as well as serving as a coordinator for services to patrons with disabilities. She is a member of LITA's Bylaws and Organization Committee. She was also the inaugural chair of LITA's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the leader of the ASCLA Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities that Prevent Them from Reading Standard Print Interest Group. She teaches classes and workshops for librarians, academic staff, and students on a range of topics, including accessibility, user experience, and web design. TwitterWebsite

How to Register

To enroll yourself or other participants in a class, use the “Register” button that follows the description of each course. If the “Register” button does not show up, try loading the page in a different web browser. Contact us if you have technical difficulties using our shopping cart system or would like to pay for an enrollment using another method. On the payment page in the shopping cart system, there is a place to add notes, such as the names and email addresses of participants you wish to enroll. We will contact you to request this information in response to your processed payment if you do not include it in the “notes” field. Prior to the start of the workshop, we will send participants their login instructions.

Payment Info

Our shopping cart system allows you to pay with a credit card or with PayPal.

Alternatively, if it is an institutional payment, we can arrange to invoice you. Contact us by email, and we can make arrangements to suit your institution's business processes.

Special Session

Please contact us to arrange a special session of this class for a group of seven or more, with a negotiable discount, or to be notified when it is next scheduled.

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