please follow the instructions below in the attachments below  please only use the reference below

Instructions

A case study critical analysis helps the learner establish a link between

the content of the case and the theories associated with it. As you

analyze the case information details and issues, the recommendations

and strategies to be followed will emerge. Your assignment is to be of a

critical and analytical nature supported by evidence and facts by the

scholarly article related to the central issue of your

case.

2. Introduction-

3. Body

4. Conclusion

5. References-

Providing Staff Training and Programming to
Support People with Disabilities: An

Academic Library Case Study

MICHELLE H. BRANNEN, STEVEN MILEWSKI, AND THURA MACK
University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

This case study explores services academic libraries provide to
students with disabilities and the impact these can have on the
success and experience of these students. The study focuses on staff
training and outreach programming. The authors examine the
academic library literature surrounding these topics, provide
examples of programming initiatives at the University of Tennessee
Libraries, and include a curated list of local and national
resources for supporting people with disabilities. Strategies are
recommended for working with local and campus organizations
to provide training and resources within the library along with
suggestions for strengthening support services for this growing
population.

KEYWORDS disability services, diversity, outreach, public
services, staff development

INTRODUCTION

Diversity and inclusion continue to be areas of focus in higher education and
in our society at large. Accreditation requirements, legislation, and social
change agents are playing into a shifting landscape. The recent Americans
with Disabilities Act 25th year anniversary has renewed efforts in awareness
of serving people with disabilities, reminding libraries that there is always
room for improvement of their services within on-going initiatives. With
the literature suggesting an increase of persons with disabilities attending

© Michelle H. Brannen, Steven Milewski, and Thura Mack
Address correspondance to Michelle H. Brannen, 1015 Volunteer Blvd Rm 236, Knoxville,

TN 37996. E-mail: brannen@utk.edu
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Jeanine Williamson for her editorial

feedback.

61

Public Services Quarterly, 13:61–77, 2017
Published with license by Taylor & Francis
ISSN: 1522-8959 print/1522-9114 online
DOI: 10.1080/15228959.2017.1298491

mailto:brannen@utk.edu

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2017.1298491

colleges and universities, it is critical for university libraries to evaluate their
resources and programs designed for these populations.

This study will broadly cover library initiatives that support special needs
populations such as persons with intellectual, physical, and emotional dis-
abilities. The library, as the center of academic learning, should take a flagship
role on college and university campuses in training their faculty and staff to
provide the best possible service. Enriching the library performance for
persons with disabilities will impact instruction, outreach, inclusion, and
awareness in general. These efforts, in turn, will enhance the university
experience of people with disabilities. There will be a gap in services to
people with disabilities if there is a gap in knowledge of library staff
members about the services offered. Awareness of the gap is the first step
in addressing and responding to the need. It is vital to the learning success
of persons with disabilities that the library staff receive appropriate training
from within the library and from experts in campus partnerships that
regularly deal with these populations. Also important is the need to spread
awareness of local and national programs and resources. Disability services
should not be left behind with the growth of other areas such as student
success and digital initiatives. Research shows that success in this area
requires consistent, on-going training and programming for library employees
in order to remain efficient at the point of need. Libraries should be used as a
benchmark for the campus in addressing these special need opportunities.

Exploring accessibility to people with disabilities in an academic library
setting can take many forms. There is much literature both about physical
accessibility (building standards, restroom accessibility, classroom or shelf
accessibility, etc.) and about web accessibility, particularly as it relates to
people with learning and physical disabilities accessing online library
resources. Rather than focus on these well documented areas, this case study
will focus on staff awareness training, of which there is research in the litera-
ture, and incorporating awareness into library outreach programming, of
which there is little literature.

We will present an approach to improving services to people with
disabilities in academic libraries by:

• Reviewing the literature and establishing current practices, trends, and
gaps (needs) in serving individuals with disabilities

• Giving examples from the University of Tennessee, a Research 1
university, discussing the efforts, resources, successes, and gaps in
providing services to people with disabilities

• Presenting a comprehensive approach adopted from the literature review
and from experiences for further implementing accessibility support in
library environments

• Discussing goals for future training, resource needs, etc., including
increased assessment of staff training and instruction.

62 M. H. Brannen et al.

Using the University of Tennessee Libraries, a case study model will
outline the best practices for serving these growing communities in academic
libraries and identify areas for future research in this field.

LITERATURE REVIEW: LIBRARY STAFF TRAINING

The focus of this research is accessibility awareness and etiquette training for
library staff, not physical access and web accessibility issues. In this context,
awareness is defined as having an understanding of what resources (services,
hardware, software, people) are available for use by people with disabilities
and the appropriate points of referral in the library, university, or community
for questions and services. In addition to increased awareness and appropriate
referrals, another goal of etiquette training is to instruct library staff how to
properly interact with people with disabilities, enabling better service for those
people, and creating a more congenial, useful, and less awkward experience
for both the user and the staff member.

According to the literature, there are different approaches to developing
staff training. Carter (2004) clearly delineates several areas of focus to
consider for training including attitudinal or sensitivity training, facility
training, and services and legal training. In addition to types of content to
focus on, Charles (2005) suggests that making the training relevant to the
practice of the organization helps to make the training more effective. She
goes on to say that providing quick reference information to front-line staff
will help reinforce training at the point of need. In addition to Charles
(2005), Mellon (2013), Forrest (2007), Willis (2012), Pinder (2005), and others
mention training specifically for front line staff as a way to boost staff
confidence when working with people with disabilities and to improve
patron interactions with the library.

The literature revealed two primary techniques libraries utilize to facilitate
staff training. The first involves arranging for live training sessions. These can
be organized within the library or utilize outside experts. Lockwood,
Friedman, and Naru (2012) outline a partnership at the University of Illinois
at Chicago between the library and the university’s Disability Resource Center
to develop a series of training sessions for library staff. Charles (2005) discusses
options for developing in-house training as well as partnering with outside
organizations and suggests exploring options based on resources in a library’s
community. Willis (2012) suggests several ideas for potential training programs
including options such as having library staff tour disability services on
campus. In terms of learning about library resources, Willis states, “More than
half of the respondent Libraries are responsible for their own training for
special equipment used in the library rather than an outside service” (2012).

The second approach to staff training involves the use of web training
modules. Forrest (2007) provides information about developing a 5-week

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 63

online training module using a content management system. The Dundee
University Library conducted pre and post assessments of the staff who
participated and results pointed to an increase in staff confidence levels in
terms of awareness of disability issues and how to appropriately interact with
patrons with disabilities. At the National University of Ireland, Maynooth,
Mellon (2013) describes the library’s partnership with the Irish National
Disability Authority (NDA). The library piloted an online course on disability
awareness developed by the NDA. The content was developed in modules,
allowing staff flexibility in terms of scheduling time to complete the training.
The flexibility both in terms of completing the training and referring back to
the information as needed was reviewed favorably by staff. Feedback indi-
cated that the inability to discuss issues and concerns might be considered
a negative to this training format.

LITERATURE REVIEW: LIBRARY OUTREACH PROGRAMMING

A working definition of “outreach program” from the American Library
Association is, “A program that encourages users (1) to utilize library services
and (2) a program designed for and targeted to an underserved or
inadequately served user group.” (Levine-Clark and Carter, 2013). This effort
represents the heart and mission of many academic libraries. Outreach works
best when there is ongoing management and updates of the activities for
those with disabilities. It is not enough to provide occasional programs and
expect library staff and users to be efficient and resourceful when responding
to information requests. The physical, emotional and intellectual barriers are
plentiful enough for people with disabilities without encountering service
detours and unprepared staff. Jill Lewis reports, “Today disabled individuals
have higher expectations and live at a time when we can meet those expecta-
tions” (Lewis, 2013). Academic, public, and other library types have much to
do to ensure services and resources are being made a priority to support this
population.

The key to success with outreach services is for the library to engage
populations with disabilities in helping to identify critical services for their
learning and information needs. A notable suggestion Lewis offers is to
have people with disabilities team-up with the libraries to teach and facili-
tate some of the library disability outreach classes. This approach can
yield high impact for all. Libraries are well positioned to implement and
support this collaboration because they support and interact with all
disciplines. Inviting a service approach such as this could be a model
project for the library to show sincere efforts of inclusion and transformation.
Also, the library staff’s learning and performance could soar with the help of
people with disabilities for putting together learning materials and
information.

64 M. H. Brannen et al.

Student affairs professionals also recognize the gap in their role in
providing services to students with disabilities, and as a solution, they
recommend partnering with other campus departments. In an article by
Kimball, Vaccaro, & Vargas (2016), they show a method that student affairs
professionals employ to help ascertain information to help them better serve
students with disabilities. They employed focus groups from various institu-
tions to discuss questions such as “What people and offices provide support
for students with disabilities or leadership on disability-related issues?” and
“What obstacles exist on your campus in working with students with disabil-
ities?” To maximize this effort, their focus group is constructed on a national
level, which includes public and private institutions ranging from small to
large. The departments involved in the collaboration include Residence Life,
Dean’s Office, and Disability Services. There is ground work and there are
best practices that Student Affairs has in place to provide current, efficient
services to students with disabilities. The libraries could add value to the
practices, and the libraries’ own outreach efforts could benefit from such a
rich partnership. Just as Student Affairs makes a point of collaborating with
a diverse range of campus departments and offices, libraries are also focused
on a number of the same significant collaborative relationships to enhance
student success.

ALA national websites and programs support all library efforts to
develop and maintain outreach policies and guidelines for library roles in
services for individuals with disabilities. The ALA Policy Manual has a section
titled B.9 “Library Personnel Practices” with a subportion titled B.9.3.2
“Library Services for People with Disabilities” that contains useful contacts
and information at national levels (2012). Links to these and other national
resources may be found in Appendix 2.

Hill reports that, “Approximately 36 million people in the United States
have one or more disabilities” and takes a broad definition of disability,
“to include physical, perceptual, and developmental challenges” (2013).
Hill cites the United Nations (UN) definition that disabilities are, “long-term
physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction
with various attitudinal and environmental barriers, hinders full and
effective participation in society” (2013). Table 311.10 in the National
Center for Educational Statistics’ (NCES) Digest of Educational Statistics,
2014 (Snyder, de Brey, & Dillow, 2016) report shows that the population
of higher education undergraduate students with disabilities has increased
and was at 11.1% of the overall undergraduate student population in 2012.
The literature agrees that outreach is needed by libraries to support better
services and resources for people with disabilities. Structured outreach
programs can be part of many library efforts to offer people with disabilities
academic and career tools and resources. Hill also states that wide-ranging
outreach goals can include increasing the number of librarians in charge of
services and programs to people with disabilities. Getting more library staff

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 65

trained to be aware of resources available to people with disabilities and to
provide specialized assistance will help provide better support services and
programs to these users. Updated and knowledgeable staff will ensure a
commitment to excellence for this community. Outreach services and efforts
reviewed in the literature reflect various models of practices, awareness
activities, and promotions to connect the users to available resources that
can enrich their lives through tailored support and impact their success.

METHODOLOGY: CASE STUDY INTRO

This case study documents key results and outcomes for developing service
operations for people with disabilities. Findings from this study share
meaningful practices to improve outreach and educational outcomes. These
practices are relevant to all library types and other educational institutions,
who commit to providing the best educational experiences for all students.
Academic libraries services and resource accessibility create solid pathways
for student success in multiple areas of campus life.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville founded in 1794, serves
27,845 students. There are approximately 9,791 faculty and staff employed
at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (henceforth UTK). UTK is a
Research 1 institution that offers over 300 degree programs. UTK is an advo-
cate for diversity and supports the welfare and success of all students. The
University is committed to preparing students to be ready for the world
and provides resources and education to promote global preparedness. More
specifically, the university offers resources and support for students with
disabilities through the Office of Disability Services to enhance their
educational endeavors. While the Office of Disability is specifically for stu-
dent needs, the equivalent for staff and faculty is the Office of Equity and
Diversity, which also deals with campus facilities accessibility.

John C. Hodges Library is the primary library of the UTK Campus and
part of a system that includes branch Libraries in Music and Agriculture
and Veterinary Medicine. With its six stories and 350,000 square feet, Hodges
Library, has approximately 150 staff and faculty, and welcomes almost
2 million visitors a year. University Libraries provide services, programs,
and accommodations to engage with students with disabilities and to support
research their needs. The Libraries’ Diversity Committee strategically includes
programs to raise awareness for this population, many of which will be
shared as we next explore staff training and outreach programming. The
UTK Libraries assigns liaison librarians to academic departments and other
units on campus, and there is a liaison librarian who works with the Office
of Disability Services to further increase support for this population in the
Libraries. Appendix 3 includes a list of the assistive technology and software
available in Hodges Library.

66 M. H. Brannen et al.

CASE STUDY: LIBRARY STAFF TRAINING

As found in the literature review, ongoing staff training, particularly for staff
working directly with students, can be an effective way to improve interac-
tions between library staff and people with disabilities. Training can involve
both sensitivity training to improve interpersonal communication and
resource training so that staff are confident in what services, equipment
and resources are available; how to assist; to whom to refer questions; and
where additional services can be found. Examining how other libraries are
dealing with these issues and being aware of national standards, trends,
and frameworks can help identify better ways to serve these populations.

When Charles writes of organizing disability awareness training, she
notes that she and a colleague “had noticed that the student population
was becoming more diverse and that there were increasing numbers of
students with disabilities” (2005). To support this observation, she also cited
that the Equity Unit on the Capabilities Scotland website indicated an
increase in disabilities among the general population in Scotland (2005).
An important factor in planning the training needed is to understand your
local population. At our institution, the Office of Disability Services (ODS)
can provide information about our specific population through our training.
For example, we know there are far more students at our university with
various types of learning disabilities than those with physical disabilities such
as vision impairment. Staff in ODS work directly with students, responding to
support requests and accessibility issues. Through training and conversations
with ODS, library staff are able to learn what type of support students with
disabilities have requested and what specific challenges they may face
navigating the services and systems in our university. This type of specific
population information can inform the content and direction of training.

The UTK Libraries works closely with ODS to provide periodic training to
library staff in the form of two different types of sessions. The first is a discussion
between ODS and library staff, specifically the Assistive Technology and Access
Committee (ATAC) and the Diversity Committee. The discussion topics cover
both general information about our population of students with disabilities,
the services ODS provides to students with disabilities, and what the library
could do better to serve this population. The second training focuses on
etiquette to prepare staff for communicating and interacting more effectively
with people with disabilities and about the services ODS provides. Both
sessions are open to all library staff, encouraged for public services staff, and
provide opportunities for questions and discussion. Additionally, before the fall
semester, ODS provides a tour for self-identified students with disabilities,
including a tour of resources in Hodges Library.

UTK’s liaison librarian for the ODS oversees outreach and resources for
people with disabilities. This includes leading tours to demonstrate how the

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 67

assistive technologies available for use in the library and for checkout can be
used for research and class assignments. These tours are intended primarily
for public services staff, but are open to all library employees. Regular
repetition of tours increases awareness of resources among staff, helping
to increase appropriate referrals for use. The Tennessee School for the Deaf,
located in Knoxville, has participated in college preparedness tours, which
raise awareness of University Libraries’ support for students in their academic
endeavor. The liaison librarian partnered with The Tennessee Teaching and
Learning Center (TennTLC) and ODS to do a session on universal design and
disability awareness for the College of Social Work faculty. The liaison
librarian also maintains a website that provides information about services
and resources available in the library so that the information provided on
the tour is readily available for front line staff to refer to as needed.

In addition to training within the library, university staff have additional
training opportunities on campus. The Office of Information Technology
(OIT) provides the campus community with multiple training workshops
during the semester on creating accessible Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF,
and PowerPoint documents on both Mac and Windows platforms. TennTLC
provides training on universal design, course planning, and provides an
accessible course syllabus template for download. In 2015, the Chancellor
formed an Accessibility Implementation Team (AIT) to:

• Recommend a campus policy and actively solicit input from faculty, staff,
and students

• Establish accessibility training
• Monitor compliance
• Provide communication
• Establish a formal timeline for various implementations.

The University Libraries has a representative on the AIT as well as both
the Communications and Awareness subcommittee and the Training,
Texbooks, and Learning Materials subcommittee. This representative is
tasked with representing library concerns and services to the committee
and reporting back to the library about campus accessibility concerns and
initiatives. AIT provides a webpage (link in Appendix 1) that announces
training opportunities as well as a list of campus resources, and external tools
and resources.

In addition to AIT, the University Libraries has formed an Assistive
Technology and Accessibility Committee (ATAC) with a mission to assess
and make recommendations about UT Libraries practices regarding the
accessibility, to persons with disabilities, of Library-owned instructional
materials and technologies. Members of the committee include representa-
tives across the library from groups that work with databases, licensing,
systems, webpages, branch Libraries, public services, assessment, instruction,

68 M. H. Brannen et al.

and liaison librarians. This is not only to assist in making comprehensive
recommendations but also to ensure that different units in the library are kept
aware of accessibility issues, concerns, and initiatives in other units. The
Communications and Training subcommittee of ATAC has been active in
trying to keep library staff aware of accessibility training opportunities across
campus and bringing sessions on training and awareness to the library. They
do this by publicizing and encouraging faculty and staff to attend various
campus trainings as described above through ODS, OIT, and TennTLC as
well as facilitate in-house training by organizing workshops both in-house
developed and with outside partners.

CASE STUDY: LIBRARY OUTREACH PROGRAMMING

In the area of outreach, we describe ways libraries can develop outreach
programs that raise awareness of disabilities issues and resources and
resources. We share examples of outreach events at UTK and reflect on
how to further improve this process.

The UTK Libraries Diversity Committee developed a series of programs
to focus on outreach to people with disabilities and disability awareness for
the general population throughout the 2014–2015 academic year. Although
programming from the Diversity Committee regularly focuses on this group,
dedicating a full year to programs focused on this area allowed opportunities
to explore different ways to engage and share information about people with
disabilities with the general population. Several regular types of programs
were maintained, including providing tours of the assistive technology avail-
able in the library commons to campus staff including ODS, OED, and library
administrators. Tours were also scheduled for both the assistive technology
and library services in general for new students who self-identified with
ODS. As part of the year-long focus on disability services, the Diversity
Committee scheduled a tour with the Tennessee School for the Deaf to show
them the library and share information about library services.

Regular campus outreach programs that the Libraries Diversity
Committee participates in include the International Festival and the
VolAware Street Fair. The International Festival brings together international
student organizations to celebrate culture with foods, crafts, dance, and
musical performances. Participating in the festival allows the UTK Libraries
Diversity Committee to showcase library resources and services in creative
ways. With a focus on disability services, the library booth at the festival
featured assistive technology including screen enlargers and dictation soft-
ware. In addition to showcasing this equipment, the committee created a
sensory experience involving tasting fresh herbs as a way to stimulate
consideration of disabilities and the impact that loss of a sense could have.
The 2012 VolAware Street Fair was a health and wellness festival. The UTK

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 69

Libraries Diversity Committee again shared information about resources for
people with disabilities in the Libraries featuring portable assistive tech-
nology such as hand-held screen enlargers.

In the spring of 2015, the Diversity Committee participated in the
National ADA Legacy Bus tour when it came to Knoxville. This provided a
rich opportunity for the committee to work with many local and state
agencies representing services for people with disabilities. Partnering with
the Office of Disability Services to have a table set up for the event allowed
diversity committee members to learn about a vast spectrum of statewide
agencies available and to provide information about resources and services
to support people with disabilities in our community.

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES

Offering accessible resources allows the library to reach and more effectively
meet the needs of all users. The administration should consider services for
people with disabilities a priority in the library’s mission and strategic plan.
Examining, monitoring, and refining these services is only one step of the
process. Another element is anticipating and addressing the challenges of
enriching the resources for people with disabilities. Some challenges to
consider when moving forward include:

• Developing services that provide meaningful support in students’ access to
library resources and facilities

• Providing the same level of service to challenged students and
non-challenged students

• Maintaining friendly and welcoming attitudes when assisting individuals
with disabilities

• Hiring faculty and staff with disabilities
• Intentionally seeking librarians and staff with training and skills in serving

people with disabilities
• Marketing the library resources and services so that students are aware of

the library efforts
• Actively assessing the experience of challenged students
• Raising staff awareness for providing services for people with disabilities
• Promoting the need for accessible resources to library vendors, especially

vendors of e-resources such as databases, e-books, and videos.

It is necessary to collect systematic feedback from people with
disabilities to continuously evaluate and improve services. By addressing
the challenges, the library will demonstrate its commitment to serving people
with disabilities and prove its support for scholarly excellence.

There are many opportunities to improve services for people with
disabilities in libraries. It is a good idea to survey the environment to learn

70 M. H. Brannen et al.

about resources available to staff and students. Look for resources in your
library, campus, and local community. Share information about resources
and services with library staff and make the information readily available
for access at the time needed. Provide etiquette training for library staff to
facilitate more effective personal interactions and give the staff opportunities
to ask questions based on their experiences. Depending upon the resources
available, there may be experts in the community available to provide
training, or the library may need to gather information to develop in-house
training. Examples of both types of training and their benefits were discussed
in the literature review. These few simple steps of sharing resources and
developing etiquette training will create a more welcoming environment
for people with disabilities by improving their interactions and experiences
with the library. As awareness increases on this topic, more opportunities
for partnerships among local and national libraries can be implemented,
and a potential outcome could be an innovative model for resource sharing
and providing services to people with disabilities.

Making training and partnerships effective requires continuous effort
and cannot end after a single successful program. The population of students
as well as library staff constantly changes. For training to be most effective, it
will need to be repeated to reach new staff members and to aid in the recall
of information at the time of need. Providing assessment after each training
will allow the training information to be updated to be more effective in
following sessions. Continued communication with support organizations
in the community will allow the library to provide current and accurate infor-
mation; ensures the library is aware of events and programs; and contributes
to a stronger relationship between the library and these organizations.

Considerations for working with people with disabilities should factor
into planning for library events, programming, and instruction. Developing
outreach to increase awareness of disabilities issues can be one way for
libraries to impact inclusivity in the community. Consider programming both
with the library and outside that will visibly promote the library as an inclus-
ive place, as well as raise general awareness of disability issues. In the case
study, a simple activity at the International Festival allowed the library to
creatively increase campus awareness as participants reflected on the
experience of having a disability. Raising general awareness in the
community through outreach programming is one way to improve
community relationships on campus.

When planning library programming, consideration for students with
disabilities should factor into the entire process. Utilizing techniques for
making accessible documents and presentations is a good first step when
incorporating universal design across library activities. Taking time to
become aware of services provided to students with disabilities on campus
and having an understanding of whom disabilities are reported to will help
library staff identify who may have needed information. Creating accessible

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 71

materials when posting information on library websites will assist students
utilizing technology such as screen or document readers. Library staff may
wish to seek training in universal design and consider how these concepts
can be incorporated when planning library programming, instruction, out-
reach, online information, etc. to develop more accessible information for
all learners.

CONCLUSION AND FURTHER AREAS FOR RESEARCH

Libraries have many opportunities to collaborate as they continue to explore
better options for serving people with disabilities ranging from improving the
environment and interactions within the library, to raising awareness in the
general population, to providing more effective library instruction. Increasing
partnerships across campus, particularly with student affairs has the potential
to enrich library services to this population. Hammond (2014) recounts three
successful practices employed by student affairs professionals and faculty
that specifically speak to students with disabilities. First, at Mercyhurst
University, student affairs created an advisory board of faculty, staff, and
students who work together to create effective and successful environments
for students with specific or general disabilities. This allows collaboration
with other invested university personnel to contribute to the success of these
students. Second, at Landmark College in Vermont, providing services for
students with learning disabilities is a priority. This is reflected in their
admissions office marketing and communication, as they describe them-
selves as “The College of Choice for Students Who Learn Differently.” And
third, Taft College creates a learning and living community for students with
specific disabilities. Through these communities they teach students practical
skill sets to carry them through not only their college career, but also post-
graduation away from their comfort zones. The literature does not demon-
strate a collaboration between Student Affairs and library efforts to evaluate
and develop programming to serve this population, indicating potential for
new collaborations and resource sharing opportunities. Student Affairs has
in place many successful models that could be enriched with library
collaboration. This holistic approach will benefit students with disabilities
by providing a wider array of options for learning, engagement, and
inclusion, as well as foster stronger relationships between essential campus
organizations.

Incorporating concepts of universal design when planning for library
instruction and outreach can improve the experience of students with dis-
abilities attending our programs and classes as the ALA call reminds us. This
may be challenging in an academic library environment where, frequently,
the librarian sees a class for a single instruction session, does not know the
students before the class, and is unaware of students with disabilities in

72 M. H. Brannen et al.

attendance and the type of disability they have. Academic libraries can make
improvements in this area by taking small steps such as creating websites and
instructional materials in accessible formats, reaching out to faculty before
instruction to inquire about students with disabilities, and seeking training
about the principles of universal design. Again, there is an opportunity
within the profession for librarians across institutions to explore and apply
instructional pedagogy to library instruction sessions, consider more effective
ways to deliver library instruction, and work as a community to develop best
practices to guide institutions developing their library instruction programs.

According to ALA Council (2012), “Libraries play a catalytic role in the
lives of people with disabilities by facilitating their full participation in
society. Libraries should use strategies based upon the principles of universal
design to ensure that library policy, resources and services meet the needs of
all people.” Incorporating concepts of universal design simply means that
when developing any service, program, or instruction, consideration is given
to making the event accessible to as broad a population as possible without
the need for special adaptations or considerations (LITA, 2016). There is
evidence that active and continuing staff training can improve interactions
between library staff and people with disabilities. In addition to raising
awareness among staff, developing outreach and programming focused on
disabilities can raise awareness in the general population, affecting the
overall consideration and environment for people with disabilities in the
community. Exploring opportunities for libraries to share resources for this
training and programming would be a logical next step.

REFERENCES

ALA Council. (2012). ALA policy manual section B: Positions and public policy
statements. Anaheim, CA: ALA Council. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/
aboutala/governance/policymanual.

Carter, C. J. (2004). Providing services for students with disabilities in an academic
library. Education Libraries, 27(2), 13–18.

Charles, S. (2005). Person first, disability second: Disability awareness training in
Libraries. Library Review, 58(8), 453–458. doi:10.1108/00242530510619147

Forrest, M. E. S. (2007). Disability awareness training for library staff:
Evaluating an online module. Library Review, 56(8), 707–715. doi:10.1108/
00242530710818036

Hammond, L. (2014). Meeting their needs: Transitioning to college with an autism
spectrum disorder. The Vermont Collection, 35, 47–54.

Hill, H. (2013). Disability and accessibility in the library and information science
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APPENDIX 1

UTK Resources, Services, and Initiatives

Accessible Information, Materials, and Technology
Page Maintained by the Accessibility
Implementation Team (AIT) is a web portal of
accessibility information including links to
resources and organizations, information about
accessibility efforts on campus, and contact
information for accessibility training on campus.

Home

Employee and Organizational Development (EOD)
Part of UT Human Resources, EOD provides training
for faculty and staff in a range of areas including
supervision and management that provide
information about working with people with
disabilities.

http://humanresources.
tennessee.edu/eod/

Office of Disability Services (ODS) Works with
students with disabilities, helping them determine
eligibility status and secure accommodations and
services to help give those students equal access to
the University. These efforts include providing
both awareness training and training about campus
resources to faculty and staff at the University.

http://ods.utk.edu

74 M. H. Brannen et al.

http://www.ala.org/lita/universal-design

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/

Home

http://humanresources.tennessee.edu/eod/

http://humanresources.tennessee.edu/eod/

http://ods.utk.edu

APPENDIX 2

National Resources

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)
Provides services and ensure compliance related to
employment at the University in terms of civil rights,
equal employment, and affirmative action. Under
this umbrella, OED provides services to faculty and
staff with disabilities.

http://oed.utk.edu

Office of Information Technology (OIT)
Provides a wide range of services and supports most
IT efforts on campus. OIT offers workshops on
creating accessible documents that are Microsoft
Word, PowerPoint, or PDF.

Office of Innovative Technologies

Tennessee Teaching and Learning Center (TennTLC)
Supports the teaching efforts at the University. They
provide workshops for incorporating universal
design into teaching. Additionally, they create an
accessible syllabus template available to the
University community.

http://tenntlc.utk.edu

UT Libraries Disabilities Services Webpage
Information about library services for people with

disabilities including services, locations,
equipment, and software.

http://www.lib.utk.edu/info/
disabilities/

UT Libraries Diversity Committee
Dedicated to creating a more inclusive community

grounded in respect and appreciation for individual
differences, the Committee endorses a broad
definition of diversity, and seeks to create dialogue
through programs and resources that enhance
knowledge and encourage understanding of
diversity. The Committee strives to provide
leadership for the Libraries in meeting the needs of
all its internal and external constituencies.

http://www.lib.utk.edu/
diversity

ALA (American Library Association) Policy Manual
Section B.9.3.2 Library Services for People with
Disabilities

ALA’s statement on library services for people with
disabilities includes useful policy and contact
information.

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/
governance/policymanual/
updatedpolicymanual/section2/
54libpersonnel#B.9.3.2

ALA (American Library Association) Accessibility in
Action

ALA’s training program focused on electronic and
information technology accessibility.

http://www.ala.org/acrl/
accessibilityinaction

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
The ADA homepage includes news and events
related to ADA legislation. Additionally, the site has
links for accessible design standards and list of
requirements and technical assistance documents.

http://www.ada.gov/index.html

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 75

http://oed.utk.edu

Office of Innovative Technologies

http://tenntlc.utk.edu

Services for Individuals with Disabilities

Services for Individuals with Disabilities

http://www.lib.utk.edu/diversity

http://www.lib.utk.edu/diversity

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section2/54libpersonnel#B.9.3.2

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section2/54libpersonnel#B.9.3.2

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section2/54libpersonnel#B.9.3.2

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section2/54libpersonnel#B.9.3.2

http://www.ala.org/acrl/accessibilityinaction

http://www.ala.org/acrl/accessibilityinaction

http://www.ada.gov/index.html

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) National
Network

The ADA National Network has a focus on providing
information and resources about how to implement
the American with Disabilities Act.

http://adata.org

ARL (American Research Libraries) Web Accessibility
Toolkit

This toolkit is aimed at helping Libraries make digital
collections accessible as well as to promote
accessibility, universal design, and digital inclusion.

http://accessibility.arl.org

ASCLA (Association of Specialized & Cooperative
Library Agencies) Resource Pages

These pages include groupings of resources on a
wide range of topics not limited to but including:
Americans with Disabilities Act; Blind and
Physically Handicapped; Deaf/Hard of Hearing;
Equity of Access; Learning Disabilities; Print
Disabilities; and Students with Disabilities.

http://www.ala.org/ascla/
asclaissues/issues

ASCLA (Association of Specialized & Cooperative
Library Agencies) Universal Design Page

This page includes the basic principles of Universal
Design.

http://www.ala.org/ascla/
asclaissues/universaldesign

Learning Disabilities Association of America
The LDAA site provides much information about
learning disabilities. The resource link includes
resources for teaching and learning.

http://ldaamerica.org

LUA (Libraries for Universal Accessibility)
LUA is a blogging and community discussion for
universal accessibility. This site includes a VPAT
(Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)
repository.

http://uniaccessig.org/lua

National Center for Learning Disabilities
The NCLD website provides information about
learning disabilities. The programs link provides
specific programs for educators and professionals
working with people with learning disabilities.

Home

76 M. H. Brannen et al.

http://adata.org

http://accessibility.arl.org

http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/issues

http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/issues

http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/universaldesign

http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/universaldesign

http://ldaamerica.org

http://uniaccessig.org/lua

Home

APPENDIX 3

Hodges Library Accessibility Equipment/Software

Equipment/Areas Description

Accessibility Room Located in Hodges Library, it contains many of the fixed pieces
of accessibility equipment such as: electrically height
adjustable tables, Sara Document Reader, Sorenson Video
Phone, CCTV Magnifier, Computer with JAWS, Adobe
Acrobat Pro, Read & Write Gold, document scanner.

CCTV Magnifier Magnifier attached to large monitor for assistance with
documents and books, contrast and size controls. Available
in the Accessibility Room.

Height Adjustable Tables Both electrical and hand crank tables are available in The
Commons and instruction rooms.

Keyboard, Large keys (USB) 2 keyboards with large black letter/yellow background keys
and USB connection. These can be checked out at
equipment checkout desk.

Laptops 3 Windows laptops computers with Dragon Software. These
can be checked out at the equipment check out desk.

Magnifiers, Handheld Small hand held camera magnifiers. These can be checked out
at the equipment check out desk.

Mouse Trackball (USB) Mouse with trackball for people with hand mobility issues,
USB connection. This can be checked out at equipment
checkout desk.

Sara Document Reader Machine that reads printed pages from books or magazines out
loud. Available in Accessibility Room.

Sorenson Video Phone A video relay service and computer that allows people who
use sign language to contact an intermediary and have them
assist in communicating and translating for them with people
they wish to contact by phone. Available in Accessibility
Room and 2 other places on campus.

Software Description

Adobe Acrobat Pro Adobe software product that can be used to read properly
formatted PDF documents and to create screen readable PDF
documents. Available on all computers in The Studio, many
computers in the commons, and library’s accessibility
computers.

Dragon Speech recognition software that allows the user to speak into
a microphone and have written words placed in a program
(Microsoft Word for example), the user can also edit word
documents and it offers limited ability to operate computer
by voice command. Available on 3 laptops that can be
checked out, Accessibility Room’s computer, and a sound
recording room in The Studio.

AWS Screen reading software for Windows computers, available on
Accessibility Room’s Windows computer and Ag-Vet
Library’s Accessibility Computer.

Texthelp Read & Write Gold Document reading, writing checking software with a campus
license for all faculty, staff, and students.

Supporting People with Disabilities: A Case Study 77

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INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW: LIBRARY STAFF TRAINING
LITERATURE REVIEW: LIBRARY OUTREACH PROGRAMMING
METHODOLOGY: CASE STUDY INTRO
CASE STUDY: LIBRARY STAFF TRAINING
CASE STUDY: LIBRARY OUTREACH PROGRAMMING
RECOMMENDED PRACTICES
CONCLUSION AND FURTHER AREAS FOR RESEARCH
REFERENCES
APPENDIX 1
UTK Resources, Services, and Initiatives
APPENDIX 2
National Resources
APPENDIX 3
Hodges Library Accessibility Equipment/Software