3A: Adaptive Technology Access: Policies, Programs and Partnerships from Around the Province

 

Panel Chair: Alison McCullough, Oshawa Public Library

Speakers: Athol Gow, University of Guelph

                  Susan Back, Toronto Public Library

                  Dorothy McNaughton, Friends of Canadian Libraries

Blogged by Cristina Dolcetti

This panel session was chaired by Alison McCullough from the Oshawa Public Library system. These three presentations focused on digital technology and accessibility issues in various library systems.

University of Guelph
Athol Gow, from the Adaptive Technology Lab at the University of Guelph, described the university’s adaptive technology services for students. He first discussed the Library Centre for Students with Disabilites (LCSD), which was formed in 1998 through the university library and the Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD). The LCSD’s Adaptive Technology Lab aims to meet a range of user needs through seven computers, three scanners and a colour CCTV.

Adaptive Technology Available at the University of Guelph
The adaptive technologies available at the University of Guelph include

- Dragon Naturally Speaking (through individual computer licenses at the LCSD)
- JAWS (at all computers on campus through licenses)
- Kurzweil (at the LCSD)
- Inspiration (at the LCSD)
- Read and Write
- Zoomtext

Funding and Partnership Support
Mr. Gow acknowledged funding support from the University of Guelph Library IT services, from the CSD and from campus student support funds. He also acknowledged the support from campus-related partnerships, including the University of Guelph Library IT services, the University of Guelph Learning Commons, the university’s development and public relations staff, the CSD and the computing and communication services.

Issues with Adaptive Technology
Mr. Gow identified current adaptive technology issues experienced at the University of Guelph. These included:

- the overcrowding of computing resources on campus
- the expenses surrounding adaptive technology
- making adaptive technology available to students at home
- the conflicts viewpoints between having a lab and distributing the adaptive technology across campus
- identifying the policy for the LCSD support role within the faculty and campus community.

Finally, Mr. Gow highlighted a future possibility of USB key-based adaptive software allowing for easier technological transportation

Toronto Public Libraries (TPL)
Susan Back, from the Access and Information Commons at the Toronto Reference Library, discussed the Toronto Public Library System’s adaptive technology services for students. She first described the Centre for People With Disabilities: http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/spe_lea_dis.jsp.
Staff at this centre evaluate new adaptive technology systems and develop training policies and procedures. The Centre for People With Disabilities features 6 wheelchair accessible workstations, a scanner, Braille printer and MS Office software.

Additionally, there are sixteen learning centres throughout the TPL, whose regular activities include “Surfing Seniors” internet drop-in workshops. The TPL also uses an Ingenium catalogue, as well as Zoomtext to magnifiy the text on the screen. Library staff are trained in Zoomtext and MS Office, while staff training for JAWS and Kurzweil is under development.

Promotion for these Services takes place through library publicity, signage on work stations, and the TPL website.

Issues
Issues identified:

- getting IT staff resources to change from Dynix to Symphony
- training staff
- incompatibility of Zoomtext with the regular computer programs

Funding
Ms. Back acknowledged funding for these developments from the IT Foundation and the Toronto Public Library Foundation.

Friends of Canadian Libraries
The session’s final speaker was Dorothy McNaughton, president of the Friends of Canadian Libraries

Barriers

What are barriers? Barriers are any obstacles preventing individuals with disabilities from participating fully. Both removing barriers and preventing them from occuring are both important to environments that encourage participation from everyone.

In a library context, barriers can include:

- the inability of people with visual impairments to locate materials easily
- lack of an inclusive emergency policy
- inaccessible washrooms
- lack of staff training with adaptive technologies
- lack of staff training in customer service to assist people with disabilities

Listen to Communities!
According to Ms. McNaughton, libraries should seek feedback from their patrons. This feedback may increase awareness of “invisible” issues, such as the potentially overwhelming aspects of membership forms for individuals with learning disabilities. Continuous feedback provides libraries with ideas for purchases in the libraries that would be relevant to patrons. Ms. McNaughton also emphasized the continuing importance of adaptive technology, including described DVDs, books recorded on CDs and outreach services.

Funding
To fund adaptive technology services, Ms. McNaughton recommended contacting local Lions Clubs and Friends of the Library groups, as well as various organizations including accessibility committees, the Canadian Hearing Society, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario.