Have you ever discovered that information you need is out of your reach? Do you personally recall the shock that you, or someone in your care, experienced when unable to physically enter a public space? Have you ever been left out of a group or event wherein you wanted to participate? If so, you know that exclusion stings, hurts, and likely causes anxiety, stress, and uncertainty.

The lack of quality information and experiences frequently results in diminished capacity for people to fulfill their basic human needs such as food and nutrition, education, employment, housing, health care, and/or other elements necessary for basic quality of life. These, and other related deficits, can be devastating especially when they disrupt a path to self-sufficiency and/or the ability to make meaningful contributions to society. Deficits such as these in physical and virtual environments are avoidable when there are provisions in the law preventing segregation and there are available opportunities financed by U. S. federal, state, or local government. However, despite the laws enacted today, there continues to be room for improvement of inclusion and accessibility for all. It is imperative that as library professionals, we identify, address barriers, and work to close gaps.

Whether your response to the questions above is yes or no, in this chapter, you will likely discover an increased awareness of the human experience of being disadvantaged and/or marginalized through someone’s exclusive choices and actions. You will also likely discover or be reminded of the benefits and importance of accessibility and inclusion and how, as an instructional librarian, you can lead change and make a positive difference by eliminating barriers that prevent accessibility and inclusion.

In schools and educational communities, inclusion typically refers to all students being able to gain access and equal opportunities to education and learning. The concept of educational inclusion began with allowing all girls and women to access school sports programs and facilities (Title IX, 1972), and then in the context of special education (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1973; ADA, 1990; ADA amendments 2008) that provided for the provision of inclusion through official writing and implementation by educators of individualized education plans for students with medically diagnosed and documented physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities. Before these laws were enacted, schools and libraries were frequently inaccessible to many individuals in communities and the concept of inclusion was rarely, if ever, broached by decision-makers in publicly funded institutions.

With the goal of focusing on high impact instructional librarian practices that take into consideration learner characteristics and needs, in this chapter we highlight accessibility of space and materials, particularly those considered useful in library instruction as well as the practices of inclusion that includes outreach to all in the library’s community. Given that instructional librarians are likely to encounter many different situations, we hope this chapter will be a useful source no matter the situation for determining actions and strategies. Authoritative sources are shared in this chapter in an effort to effectively and immediately assist with likely challenges and opportunities.

Today, the concept of inclusion is widely understood largely due to teaching and learning in higher education and programs that intentionally address diversity and the benefits of access and inclusion. Access and inclusion are understood in the context of the individual and their background, culture, interests, needs, preferences, and priorities, and as publicly financed organizations, systems, and services outlined in federal and state laws, and in local policies, procedures, and practice statements. However, recently some states have passed laws to stop and eliminate future opportunities for access and inclusion for some. One example is banning transgender and intersex students from participating in school sports. Many other recent legislative actions in the United States (U.S.) serve to reduce, or eliminate, protections for all.

Given the vulnerability of all people when accessing publicly funded services and resources such as in publicly funded libraries of all types and other information organizations, it is especially important for library professionals who are educated as instructional librarians to be involved in persuasive advocacy, to know and use inclusive instructional strategies designed to include, ensure access to information for all, and to anticipate and plan for a variety of types of learning needs. To provide equitable access and inclusion, libraries must prioritize disability inclusion and regularly conduct data-based assessment to track inclusion and accessibility.

Accessibility and inclusion are two concepts that are often paired up with a variety of other terms such as diversity, equity, cultural competency, and cultural humility that help to describe how to treat all people fairly and what it means to avoid leaving anyone out of publicly funded educational programs and services. These, and other related terms and concepts, are necessary and useful to instructional librarians who have a significant responsibility, along with other library professionals, to ensure that they are engaging a broad representation of the community in use of the library’s resources and services. Throughout this book, we focus on terms and concepts necessary when planning, designing, delivering instruction, and assessing student learning. In this chapter, the goal is to primarily emphasize accessibility and inclusion as legally defined terms and professionally practiced actions resulting in engagement, representation, action and expression in library facilities and with library personnel, resources, services, and programs.

To get started, here are four essential questions (Wiggins & McTighe, 2013) we ask you to consider while reading this chapter. By the end of this chapter, you should be able to accurately and thoroughly respond to each of these questions and understand the importance of your collaboration with community stakeholders.

3.1 Defining Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion

It is important to recognize that disability, accessibility, and inclusion are terms defined in U.S. law. To facilitate discussions, below is a list numbered as key points stating specifics articulated in the law that are relevant to design and delivery of library instruction, with key points that are applicable to instructional librarians’ responsibilities when providing sources of authority about the U.S. law.

Key Point #1 (access; disability) - The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12101), which guarantees access (entry) to government funded programs and places, states:

a person with a disability is someone who:

· has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,

· has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission), or

· is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).

Key Point #2 (appropriate inclusion) - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 (amended in P.L. 114-95, Every Student Succeeds Act 2015) and Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 govern accommodations in public schools. IDEA governs what goes on within the school classroom. Section 504 Guarantees access (entry) to schools.

Key Point #3 (invisible disability) - Invisible illnesses named by the University of Massachusetts have specific symptomology listed by the Center for Disease Control indicating that invisible disabilities are medical conditions that impact daily life but are not immediately obvious. (See Invisible Disabilities List & Information-Disabled World (2015) retrieved from Invisible Disabilities List & Information.pdf (umass.edu)

Key Point #4 (access) - Accessibility refers to “a site or facility, work environment, service or program that is easy to approach, enter, operate, participate in and or use safely and with dignity by a person with a disability .” (Breese & Hummel, n.d., p.4).

For more details, including further discussion of each key point, please see pages 6-9 of the Libraries Transforming Communities, Serving Patrons with Disability in Small and Rural Libraries Practitioner’s Guide (ALA, 2023).

3.2 Benefits and Limitations in ADA (1990)

The initial enactment of the ADA of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12101) was a major step in the right direction toward providing access and inclusion to all. Before ADA was enacted, social spaces and systems were the result of creations by and for non-disabled, neurotypical, and privileged people. With the ADA, people with disabilities were legally ‘in the door’ so to speak of educational institutions including libraries, but frequently still without accommodations that were useful and/or necessary to make the experience of being there meaningful or worthwhile. Even though it was the law of the land to include individuals with disabilities, there were many people who were not accepting of the law and deliberately put up barriers. Most often, people with disabilities were just there, if there at all!

Just because something is technically ADA compliant, which only addresses minimum accessibility needs, it does not mean that it is accessible. As is pointed out by the ALA, “[t]o create accessible community engagement opportunities, we must go beyond ADA compliance and take into consideration the multiple additional impacts on a participant’s experience, such as physical and social logistics” (ALA, 2023, pp. 4-5).
Keep in mind that accessibility and accommodation are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably.

· Accessibility is proactive and strives to remove barriers during the design state of an event, program, or service.

· Accommodation is reactive and strives to remove barriers caused by inaccessible design. This ensures people with disabilities have the same access as people without disabilities.

These two definitions are found on page four of the ALA Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessibility Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries Facilitation Guide.

3.3 Prioritizing Accessibility and Inclusion

When libraries are accessible for all members of the library’s community, everyone benefits. For example, when aisles are wide enough for a person in a wheelchair or using a walker to move safely throughout the library spaces, there is also space enough for parents and their three children to stand together while selecting books on a shelf. When signage includes images, everyone including non-readers and non-English speakers can locate the books about nutrition, sports, and more. When the Wi-Fi can be used in the library parking lot after the library is closed, all families no matter their work and school schedules can access online library resources. When library programs are designed to meet needs of children and youth who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder and other forms of neurodiversity, all members of the family can be present at the same time.

When librarians are mindful of their own biases and how biases result in forms of oppression, they use language, logistical choices, and outreach to ensure everyone has opportunities to be included. We must be cautious of inequitable outcomes and oppression stemming from personal prejudice that may result in discrimination based on racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, and classism and work to ensure no one is excluded. The willingness to regularly address one’s own biases is central to all positions as library professionals.

3.4 Community Conversations

As is emphasized in the ALA Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessibility Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries Facilitation Guide, “improving accessibility of library space, resources, tools, and programs improves the library for all community members” (p. 7). The only effective and efficient way to address accessibility is to regularly invite people in the community, not just those who regularly come to the library, to talk about their needs and desires to be served by the library. When librarians make assumptions without talking directly to people who personally experience disabilities, librarians will likely make uncomfortable and expensive mistakes. Through conversations that occur in traditional in-person conversation and in a multimodal model of community conversations
including synchronous and asynchronous delivery (p. 22), library professionals can get to know community members and determine how to make the most of library space, resources, and instructional services so that no one is left out.

Important considerations for holding community conversations, components of planning and holding community conversations on accessibility, an accessibility conversation planning tool checklist, prompts to help plan conversations on accessibility, and many other invaluable resources are provided in the ALA Facilitation Guide (pp. 12-25). In holding community conversations, instructional librarians and other library personnel must be mindful that many people today are experiencing hardships and distress in their lives that impacts how they are able to focus, learn, and engage with others. Taking a trauma-informed approach to library services is addressed in Chapter 5 of this book.

3.5 Universal Design for Learning and Libraries

It is a mistake to see the term universal design and to automatically assume that universal means one-size-fits-all and therefore, the work of making library spaces, resources, and instructional services accessible and inclusive is done. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework by Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) outlines the design of all aspects of educational instruction that can be customized and adjusted to meet individual needs. When using the UDL, librarians predict the needs of individual and create different options for everyone within the scope of a broad range of abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics such as age, reading ability, learning style, language, culture, all based on the variability of library users. UDL is different from differentiated learning, which is also a popular educational approach to instruction, wherein flexible groupings of people are created based on how people learn. Using the principles of UDL including engagement, representation, and actions and expression, learning and use of libraries are not created for the average user but rather so that all library users may self-direct their own learning. The goal for UDL in libraries is to ensure that everyone feels welcome, can get in and move around in the library freely, communicate with library personnel, access print and electronic resources, and fully participate in activities and events.

3.5.1 Getting Started with Library Instruction UDL Chart

The chart below is adapted for instructional librarians from the one-page chart titled, Getting Started with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that was designed for classroom teachers to use when planning lessons, routines and activities for students. We recommend using the UDL from CAST principles when planning and delivering library instruction, creating guided inquiry materials, and facilitating information literacy learning activities. The principles are engagement, representation, action, and expression.

Examples:

· Instructional librarian introduce yourself relating to students.

· Ask students about their information interests (e.g., academic discipline; assignment or project type; topic

· How is my classroom accepting and supportive of all students? or subject area, etc.); strengths (e.g., career goal; searching skills; previous research; writing abilities, etc.); and needs (e.g., books, peer-reviewed journals, number of citations, due date).

· State clearly relevant lesson learning outcomes.

· State clear beginnings and ends to each step in the lesson.

Examples:

· Ask students about their desired or required academic writing style (APA; MLA; Chicago; other) to be used in creation of information products.

· Ask students about presenting information using narrative, figures, and/or tables, etc.?

· Ask students about presentation requirement, assignment submission, or publication intentions.

· Inform all students about available student success option including library services, tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance.

Examples

· Inform students about timing and pacing based on library open/close, available online resources, access to reference and instructional librarians.

· Inform students about available computer labs and the library’s public access terminals.

· Inform all students about student accessibility and support services.

· Guide students to available quiet spaces in the library.

· Recommend that student’s official disability accommodations instructions include library-related assistive technology devices and supports.

3.5.2 Equal Access: UDL in Libraries

The best approach to successful UDL in libraries is to always communicate with people in the library's communicate about their interests, needs, preferences, and priorities. Library personnel should identify and communicate with current and potential library users in need of library accessibility and inclusion. Be especially determined to reach and invite those in the community who are non-users of the library. Schedule opportunities for people in the community to come together to hold community conversations associated with a particular small, medium, or large library in rural and/or urban locations. Offer opportunities for individuals, family members and other members of the community to provide input through whatever means is possible to accomplish. Below is a planning checklist adapted from the ALA Leading Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries Facilitation Guide (ALA, 2020). This adapted planning checklist will likely be useful before, during, and after community conversations.

Before:

· Identify your target audience (an individual or group) for this conversation.

· Clarify for yourself, using this chapter’s information, what your goal is for the conversation.

· Identify possible partners to support this conversation. Try to have at least one.

· Identify questions you will ask. Structure your conversation.

· Decide where and how the conversation takes place. Options include in person; online, synchronous and asynchronous.

· What do you need to make the conversation accessible?

· Reach out and invite participation in your conversation.

During:

· Hold your conversation.

· Facilitate discussion.

· Take notes as you can either during or immediately following the conversation.

· Inform participant(s) of additional opportunities to provide input.

· Synthesize input, identify and determine outcomes or actions items coming from the conversation.

After:

· Thank participant(s). Write a reflection about what you learned from the conversation and what next steps are logical and urgent.

3.6.2 Featured Exercise – Share Accessibility and Inclusion with Others in Your Community or Organization

After reading this chapter and studying the provided resources, think about what you have discovered or been reminded about pertaining to protections in the U. S. law for individuals with disabilities by institutions and organization that accept government funding. What gaps are there to fill? Also, think about the varieties of ways instructional librarians can be involved in meeting information needs of people in the library’s community.

To stimulate deep thinking, please read each scenario below and identify how UDL of Libraries may facilitate improvements and positive change in each situation. What might the instructional library along with local library partners do to promote accessibility and inclusion? Discuss each situation with practicing instructional librarians and other library leaders and additional situations known to you and others in need of action and ways to fill gaps in providing accessibility and inclusion.

Scenario One:

Marie is a first-year master’s student in library and information science. As a small child, Marie was diagnosed by a clinical psychologist who documented presence of Autism. Marie has excellent abilities to speak, read, and write. Throughout Marie’s education, her parents and teachers have provided Marie with necessary positive behavioral supports. Now, Marie is living alone in a university dormitory. She is scheduled to attend week-day classes on campus, and she has a part-time job in the library. Marie has difficulty staying on schedule for attending classes, with submitting assignments on time, and keeping track of her work schedule. Marie misses her parents’ assistance, particularly her father who has long provided her with a daily printed schedule that Marie carried with her, indicating clear beginnings and ends to each daily activity. When Marie has schedule information in a visual format rather than oral reminders of what time it is, she is more likely to stay focused. Writing the schedule is not something that Marie has ever been able to do for herself. Marie has been told by her academic adviser that if she is unable to attend required classes and submit required assignments on time, the master’s degree program will no longer be an option for her.

Scenario Two:

Bill is fifteen years of age. He lives in a small rural community. At his public high school, Bill is a member of the school newspaper editorial group. Bill plans to become a journalist. This school newspaper group meets each week during lunch time. Lunch is provided by the school and the group eats and works together. Bill loves this group and very much wants to be a part of it, but he feels excluded because the provided food is never something Bill can eat. Bill experiences celiac disease caused by an immune reaction to eating gluten. Due to this diagnosed and documented health condition, intestinal damage causes severe symptoms such as diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating or anemia. Bill cannot risk eating the provided food because he understands for him, it will be life threatening. The teacher-sponsor of the group suggested that Bill bring his own lunch.

Scenario Three:

Riley is in the first grade and attends a public elementary school. Riley was assigned male at birth. During preschool, Riley insisted on presenting as a girl. To satisfy Riley’s preferences beginning in preschool, Riley’s parents allowed Riley to wear the clothing they felt comfortable in such as dresses and skirts. Now enrolled in first grade in the public school, children and their parents are asking many questions of the teachers and principal at the school about Riley’s choice of clothing, appearance, and behaviors. Some parents have pulled their children out of the classroom that Riley attends, demanding their child be allowed to attend school in a different classroom in the same building. To separate their children from Riley, other parents have moved to another school district. Riley often cries with disappointment because children keep their distance in the classroom and run away at recess.

Scenario Four:

Andreous is seven and the youngest of four children. Andreous and his family were recently involved in a tragic car accident when returning home from a school program that left both of his parents and two of his siblings severely injured, resulting in intense medical treatments and extensive expenses. Andreous’ father was unable to work for months. The children in this family love to read. They have had a long and regular practice of checking out and returning books from the school’s library. One morning during second grade library time, the library aid joined the second-grade children in sitting in a circle on the floor. She began her discussion by calling out children by name who had overdue books, announcing the amount of the book fine, and making sure that they knew they could not check out more books until the books were returned and the fines paid. The library aid called out Andreous saying, “I do not know why we cannot get books back from your family.” Andreous dropped his head and began to cry. He continued to sob through the library period.

3.6.3 Featured Exercise – Teaching about Accessibility and Inclusion

In the role of instructional librarian in all library types, it is necessary to not only address accessibility and inclusion in your instructional planning, design, delivery, and assessment of student learning, but it is also necessary to instruct others about disability, accessibility, and inclusion as legal terminology relevant in publicly funded organizations and institutions. There will be opportunities for you to point out the location of law, proper citations, glossary of terms, and best practices resources such as those included in this chapter.

Imagine that you are selected to conduct a professional development session for librarians and library staff in a publicly funded library (any time). Please create an initial program plan, to be used by you, to prepare for the 90-minute session, including:

· The target audience

· A title and description of the session to be included in an announcement/invitation to attend

· 3-4 learning outcomes that you want participants to benefit from by the end of your session.

· Outline of a handout

· Your plan for checking for learning.

· Sources of authority and citations shared with participants.

While this is not a formal writing assignment, please write details relevant to all the listed details clearly and accurately. It is your responsibility as the instructional librarian to be certain that all participants in the professional development session are properly informed and well-prepared to fill existing gaps at libraries where they are employed.

3.7 Reference & Further Recommended Reading

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 (1990). https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/

Breese, C. & Hummel, K. (n.d.). Accessible conversations in small and libraries: Facilitation Guide. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/sites/ala.org.tools/files/content/230614-ppo-accessible-conversations-guide-WEB.pdf

Burgstahler, S. (n.d.) Equal access: Universal design of libraries. University of Washington. https://www.washington.edu/doit/equal-access-universal-design-libraries

Disabled World. (2015). Invisible disabilities: List & information. https://www.umass.edu/studentlife/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/Invisible%20Disabilities%20List%20%26%20Information.pdf

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004), amend Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 (2015). https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/

Libraries Transforming Communities. (2023). Serving patrons with disabilities in small and rural libraries: Practitioner’s Guide. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/sites/ala.org.tools/files/content/240316-ppo-ltc-serving-patrons-with-disabilities-practioners-guide-ACCESSIBLE.pdf

Libraries Transforming Communities. (2020). Leading conversations in small and rural libraries: Facilitation Guide. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/sites/ala.org.tools/files/content/230614-ppo-accessible-conversations-guide-WEB.pdf

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

United States. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Office for Civil Rights. (1978). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 : fact sheet : handicapped persons rights under federal law. Washington :Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of the Secretary, Office for Civil Rights. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/statutes/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2013). Essential questions: Opening doors to student understanding. Alexandria, VA. Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).