ALISE Annual Conference

October 2-5, 2023

Advocating for Disability Access: The Bridge We Need 

SIG Conveners:

Keren Dali, University of Denver, United States of America

Kim M. Thompson, University of South Carolina, United States of America

Andrew Smith, Emporia State University, United States of America

Presenters:

June Abbas (University of Oklahoma, USA); Denice Adkins (University of Missouri, USA); Maria Cahill (University of Kentucky, USA); Deborah Charbonneau (Wayne State University, USA); Clayton A. Copeland (University of South Carolina, USA); Keren Dali (University of Denver, USA); Dustin Fife (Colorado College, USA); Brandy Fox (University of South Carolina, USA); Heather Hill (Western University, Canada); Yong Ju Jung (University of Oklahoma, USA); Dick Kawooya (University of South Carolina, USA); Kyungwon Koh (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA); Alicia Long (University of Missouri, USA); Bobbie Sartin Long (Emporia State University, USA); Morgan Lundy (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; USA); Kevin Oswald (Western University, Canada); Abigail L. Phillips (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA); Susan Rathbun-Grubb (University of South Carolina, USA); Eric P. Robinson (University of South Carolina; USA); JooYoung Seo (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA); Andrew J. M. Smith (Emporia State University, USA); Kim M. Thompson (University of South Carolina, USA); Caitlin Tobin (University of Wisconsin – Madison; USA) 

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ABSTRACT:

The Disabilities in LIS SIG session features presentations by American and Canadian researchers on a wide array of disability and accessibility-related topics. The first part of the session includes five 10-min research- and experience-based talks. It opens up with Kawooya, Robinson, Copeland, and Fox discussing a pilot study focused on the “Equitable Access for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) Students in Online Learning” (funded by USC). In “Ableism Rekindled: Experiences of Ph.D. Student During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Dali and Charbonneau explore the experiences of disabled and neurodiverse Ph.D. students from LIS programs in Canada and the U.S. (funded by DU). To continue the theme of academia in “Discouraging Accessibility Through Poor Accessibility Training: An Antidote,” Smith addresses ways in which such training can have a negative effect on faculty and staff’s willingness to promote accessibility. Looking into professional settings, Rathbun-Grubb examines the “Post-COVID Work Experiences of Librarians with Chronic Health Conditions” based on the survey data collected in 2022. Bringing public libraries into the mix, Cahill, Adkins, Sartin Long, and Long examine why it is so challenging to engage public libraries in research-to-practice projects that improve access to library for families with young children with disabilities (funded by IMLS).  

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Engaging a new format of blitz reports, the second part of the session highlights the news and updates on seven ongoing or recently completed projects. In their elegiac “May Be a Picture of a Dog and a Book,” Hill and Oswald share results of the study that examined the inaccessibility of social media feeds in Ontario public libraries. Guided by a critical disability studies approach, Lundy reports on preliminary findings from the dissertation-in-progress that investigates how and why individuals with non-apparent chronic illnesses share their health stories on TikTok. In the “The Prevalence of Public Library Makerspaces and Maker Programs for Youth with Disabilities,” Jung and Abbas share the initial findings from the project that investigates strategies for including youth with disabilities in public library makerspaces (funded by IMLS). Continuing this theme, Koh and Seo engage the audience in their participatory design project “Promoting Computational Thinking Skills for Blind and Visually Impaired Teens Through Accessible Library Makerspaces” (funded by IMLS). Based on the recently published co-authored study, Tobin explores “Representations of Children with Disabilities in a Public Library Board Book Collection.” In “Broadening Academic Library Employment: Neurodiversity in Academic Library Hiring,” Thompson and Dali report select findings from the pilot project focused on exploring barriers and supports in academic library hiring practices (funded by IMLS). To wrap up this stellar line-up of presentations, Phillips and Fife turn their attention to accommodation requests from academic librarians and library staff in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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ALISE Annual Conference

September 20-24, 2021

 

Leading, Educating, and Inspiring LIS Professionals to Embrace Accessibility for a Resilient Future

SIG Conveners:

Keren Dali, University of Denver, United States of America

Michelle Hahn, Indiana University, United States of America

Andrew Smith, Emporia State University, United States of America

Presenters:

Denice Adkins (University of Missouri, United States of America), Maria Cahill (University of Kentucky, United States of America), Clayton Copeland (University of South Carolina, United States of American), Timothy Dickey (San José State University, United States of America), Lesley Farmer (California State University-Long Beach, United States of America), Heather Hill (Western University, Canada), Kevin Mallary (Western Carolina University, United States of America), Bobbie Sartin Long (Emporia State University, United States of America), Kim Thompson (University of South Carolina, United States of America), Melissa Wong (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America)

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ABSTRACT:

 

 

The COVID pandemic has put the issues of disability and accessibility in the spotlight. Social interactions, employment, studies, and day-to-day activities for some people with disabilities have become more challenging; yet, others have found opportunity and even relief in working from home, avoiding the grueling commute and inaccessible physical environments. The situation has thus highlighted disparities within the disabled community: those with comfortable living conditions, information literacy skills, and stable internet access fared better than individuals lacking these conditions. People with disabilities in all LIS constituent groups have been affected: students, librarians, library users, faculty, and academic staff. This has shown the need for building resilience and improving accessibility. This session will bring together over a dozen educators from American and Canadian LIS programs and include five presentations accompanied by hands-on interactive activities. After a brief introduction (5 min), each group of presenters will introduce their topics (30-35 min) and then engage the audience in a series of prepared activities (40 min) using two virtual breakout rooms. In Breakout Room 1 (“LIS Education: Course Preparation, Collaboration, & Design”), Cahill, Adkins, and Bushman will review the ways in which LIS courses in youth services address programs for young children with disabilities and later facilitate the collaborative analysis of syllabi from LIS youth services courses. They will encourage participants to collectively come up with solutions, changes, and improvements and show their alignments with ALA Core Competences and COA Standards for Accreditation. Hill and Wong will focus on everyday choices made by LIS educators in their course design that can improve accessibility in learning, including policies, learning materials, and considerations of diversity in establishing “norms.” Participants will leave with a checklist of practices for accessibility audit in their courses. Farmer will take up the topic of collaboration with disability support service providers (DSSP). Building off the lived experiences of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), participants will learn several strategies for successful collaboration with DSSP. In Breakout Room 2 (“LIS Preparation for Practice: Equitable Hiring & Service Provision”), Copeland, Mallary, and Thompson will focus on the training of LIS professionals that helps them embrace accessibility by using scenarios for inclusive hiring practices. They will offer a lesson plan for preparing future LIS managers and leaders for the equitable handling of job interviews, inclusive job advertising, and onboarding after hiring. Participants will learn to design training scenarios related to teaching students about inclusive communication practices. Focusing on the potential of libraries to provide “nonpharmacological interventions” that improve the lives of people living with dementia and their care partners, Dickey will help participants explore the ways to prepare LIS students for supporting these user groups. Participants will brainstorm practical suggestions for fostering accessibility when people with dementia are concerned and discover resources for leadership and advocacy. Then, participants will reconvene for the general discussion (10-15 min). The SIG session will end with the general discussion of how the aforementioned aspects are affected during world health emergencies and what it means for the future of accessibility

 

Session: September 22nd, 2021, from 1:30pm to 3:00pm EST (https://ali.memberclicks.net/alise-2020-schedule)

 

Session line-up:

 

Brief Introduction Keren Dali 1:30-1:35pm  

Group topics presentations (5 min per group; 30-35 min in total) 1:35pm – 2:10pm 

• Cahill, Adkins, and Bushman

• Hill and Wong

• Farmer

• Copeland, Mallary, and Thompson

• Dickey

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Breakout rooms (40 min) 2:50pm

BR1: “LIS Education: Course Preparation, Collaboration, & Design” – Andrew Smith (facilitator)

• Cahill, Adkins, and Bushman: “How do youth services courses address services and programs for young children with disabilities?”

• Hill and Wong: “Less Resilience, Better Course Design: Evaluating Course Accessibility”

• Farmer: “Collaborating with Higher Education Disability Support Centers”

BR2: “LIS Preparation for Practice: Equitable Hiring & Service Provision” – Michelle Hahn (facilitator)

• Copeland, Mallary, and Thompson: “Training LIS Professionals to Embrace Accessibility: Scenarios for Inclusive Hiring Practices and a Resilient Workplace”

• Dickey: “Library Professionals Innovate Accessible Services for the Dementia Community”

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General Discussion (10-15 min) 2:50pm-3:00pm

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ALISE Annual Conference

October 20-23, 2020

Transforming LIS Education through Disability Inclusion

SIG Conveners:

Keren Dali, University of Denver, United States of America

Kim M. Thompson, University of South Carolina, United States of America

Mirah J. Dow, Emporia State University, United States of America

Presenters:

Susan Alman (San José State University, United States of America), Amelia Anderson (Old Dominion University, United States of America), Maddi Brenner (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States of America), Jennifer Campbell-Meier (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand), Debbie Faires (San José State University, United States of America), Anne Goulding (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand), Baheya S. Jaber (University of Alabama, United States of America), Bharat Mehra (University of Alabama, United States of America), Rebecca Muir (Charles Sturt University, Australia), Abigail L. Phillips (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States of America), Asim Qayyum (Charles Sturt University, Australia), Andrew J. M. Smith (Emporia State University, United States of America), Sarah Sutton (Emporia State University, United States of America), Melissa Wong (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America)

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ABSTRACT:

Combining perspectives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US, this international panel will develop an honest dialog on disability inclusion in LIS education, drawing on empirical research, discursive analysis, and practical experience. All introductory talks will be followed by nuanced and carefully developed experiential activities prepared by each group of presenters and delivered at the two thematically arranged round tables. Jointly, seven interconnected presentations will address LIS pedagogy, educational policy, and educational content from the standpoint of disability inclusion and its potential to transform LIS education.

 

Session: October 20, 2020, from 2:50pm to 4:50pm EST (https://ali.memberclicks.net/alise-2020-schedule)

 

Presentations line-up:

 

Disability in LIS pedagogy and educational policy

1. Alman & Faires: “Navigating the Maze of Voice-to-Text (VTT) Captioning: Disability Inclusion for Presentations & Discussions”

2. Phillips, Anderson, & Renner: “What is Available? What isn’t?: iSchools, Online MLIS students, and Mental Health Support”

3. Smith & Sutton: “Creating Accessibility In a Blended Learning Environment: Some Practical Considerations”

4. Wong: “Accessibility Starts in the Syllabus: Course Policies that Center Inclusion of Students with Disabilities”

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Disability in LIS Educational Content

1. Goulding & Campbell-Meier: Facilitating Dementia-Friendly Book Groups”

2. Mehra & Jager: “Information Support Services for People Who Are Differently Abled in Alabama’s Public Libraries: Strategies to Further Disability Inclusion in LIS Education”

3. Thompson, Muir & Qayyum: “Disability in the Australian Library Workforce: A Response to the ALIA Workforce Diversity Trend Report 2019”

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ALISE Webinar

August, 2020

Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning: Tools in Equity of Access

 https://ali.memberclicks.net/alise-webinar-august-2020?servId=7393Recording Available at  (ALISE member login required)

Presentation Description:

Looking beyond her introduction to UDL presented to ALISE in 2019, Dr. Copeland has partnered with Kevin J. Mallary, a Ph.D. student in the iSchool at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to advance the UDL conversation by posing the questions:

• How can LIS educators collaborate with their peers to implement the framework in their programs, and ultimately, their institutions?

• In these unprecedented times, what are some concrete strategies for implementing UDL across courses?

• How can UDL benefit disabled learners, and more broadly, all learners and instructors?

• How can the principles of UDL be adopted to create accessible online learning environments, as well as library and cultural heritage programming?

During this webinar, which is sponsored by the newly established Disability in LIS SIG, Copeland and Mallary aim to discuss their questions with attendees and facilitate the rich exchange of ideas and resources for benefitting all learners.

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Including Disability in LIS Education and Workplaces: From Local Concerns to Global Vision

IDEALS Proceedings

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ALISE Academy at the Association of Library and Information Science Education 2019 Conference - September 23, 2019: 2-5pm, Ballroom C, Knoxville Convention Center.

Presenters: Keren Dali, Kim Thompson, Mirah Dow, Brady Lund, Kevin Mallary​

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ABSTRACT:

 

Local variations notwithstanding, workplace disability exclusion is a global phenomenon. Despite continuous attempts to increase the participation of disabled LIS faculty and staff in workplaces, both recruitment and retention efforts fall short. Despite tremendous documented successes with regard to including students with disabilities in LIS programs and users with disabilities in libraries, archives, museums, and information organizations, the situation of faculty and staff with disabilities remains neglected. Attempts to quantify workplace exclusion may be misleading since many faculty and staff choose not to disclose their disability, fearing negative consequences for their career prospects. Bullying and discrimination, added to physical and mental health challenges, can be particularly marginalizing. These observations emerge in different countries and regions, including Canada, the Caribbean, Israel, South Africa, UK, and the U.S. The heartening trend of expanding diversity conversations on campus and at LIS workplaces often exclude disabled employees, be they academics or professionals, which results in a serious marginalization of disabilities even in the context of diversity efforts. Similarly, discussing global LIS education and professional practices, we leave employees with disabilities out. As a result, our global vision is regrettably fragmented and excludes an international community of talented and productive individuals who, in some countries, represent the largest minority group. Striving for a truly global and inclusive educational, professional, and information environment, LIS community members could begin by counteracting the view of the world as exclusively able-bodied. This ALISE Academy workshop takes concrete steps in this direction by going beyond politically correct, theoretical, or conceptual discussions, and addresses the existing gaps and deficiencies in the state of disability inclusion. The session is intended for academic and professional administrators of all levels; future leaders, including beginner faculty, and Ph.D. and master’s students; and any educator or practitioner interested in disability at the workplace.

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