Making Your Library Accessible to People with Disabilities, Session 1018

The presenter in this session gave a very detailed coverage on topics including legislation, barriers, what is accessibility, provincial standards, understanding people with disabilities, tips for great customer service, and what libraries can do to increase accessibility.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) became law in 2005. The government of Ontario is developing accessibility standards that will identfiy, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities in key areas of their daily lives. Standards will be set in both public and private sectors. In Ontario, about 1.5 million people (13.5% of the population) have a disability in 2001 and about 1.97 million people (15.5% of the population) have a disability in 2006. National statistics indicate that 41% of people aged 65 and over have a disability. The number of people with disabilities will continue to grow as our population ages.

Accessibility standards will be developed by Standards Development Committees comprising of members of the disability community, representatives of the broader public and private sectors, and the Ontario government. The Committees are developing proposed standards in five key areas:-

• Customer service
• Information & communications
• Built environment
• Employment
• Transportation.

The Committees will submit propsed standards to the government for adoption as regulations. Business and organizations must comply with the accessibility standards that apply to them. Failure to do so may result in penalties, such as fines.

The accessibility standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulations 429/07) came into force on Jan. 1, 2008. The regulation outlines a number of things that organizations and business must do, e.g. establishing policies and procedures on providing goods or services to people with disabilities, establishing training policy for staff etc. Public sector organizations designated in the standard must comply by Jan. 1, 2010. Private business and non-profit organizations must comply by Jan. 1, 2012.

At present, we already have a large print collection and a good collection of books on CD. To increase accessibility, MPL can consider the following:

• described DVDs
• DAISY books and digital audio players
• more braille materials
• accessible work stations - computers with adaptive software (Zoom Text, JAWS)
• when designing a new website, ensrue it is totally accessible for all users
• review evacuation plan to determine if it addresses the needs of people with disabilities
• provide a simple application process for access to specialized materials for people with a print disability

A person's disability may be visible (e.g. someone who is blind uses a white cane) or may not be as obvious (e.g. someone with a mental illness). One thing we can do immediately to improve accessibility is to treat people with all types of disabilities with dignity and respect, and asking "How may I help you?"

Connecting with South Asian Customers: Developing Cultural Awareness

Session 1003
Connecting with South Asian Customers: Developing Cultural Awareness
Sarala Uttangi Brampton Library

The South Asian group of people is one of the largest growing community in the Brampton area. The Brampton Public Library staff were looking for a speaker or researcher who knew the South Asian to give them more knowledge about the cultural backgrounds of this group of people. No one was to be found, so they created their own program.

Sarala talked about what they are doing as a library. She touched on the demographic trends in Brampton and Peel Region area. The part that I found the most interesting was the country profile where she broke down each country. Talking about the differences in population, language, religion and land area in each of these countries. She also gave some cultural tips on how they interact with people from back home and how to get South Asian poeple involed in programs. The personal touch is what they like. I believe we all like a little bit of personal touch.

Serving Seniors with Panache

This session revolved around the partnership Oshawa Public Library established with an Oshawa Senior Citizens Centre (OSCC). The enthusiastic presenters, one with the library and the other with the OSCC, discussed how the partnership developed including the challenges and opportunities they faced.

The Legends Centre Branch opened in 2006 located next door to the OSCC and as a result the library offers numerous programs for senior citizen audiences. Following a discussion of demographics and the definition of a “senior” from a socio-historical perspective, the presenters illustrated a number of programs which were simple to implement and have taken off in popularity. A couple of the ideas I felt MPL could readily adopt include:

1. Views & News – a drop-in discussion group about top news events
2. Themed showings of videos/DVDs (those with public performance rights) e.g. armchair travel, historical/controversial figures, general history, gardening etc. With a facilitated discussion and information sheet with suggested library resources following the viewing

The presenters emphasized that seniors like to express their opinions and programs which catered to that need were often more successful then those which provided less social engagement…

In addition to the excellent sessions I attended, I was also impressed with the steps the Association is taking in creating greater networking opportunities in the library community. OLA is currently working on the creation of a mentoring database which will allow those seeking a mentor to search through a database of profiles and subsequently request contact with potential mentors. Due to technical difficulties the launching of the database has been delayed however I was assured that it will become available shortly via the OLA website. Keep your eyes peeled…

Customers First at London Public Library

Session # 309
Customers First at London Public Library
Anne Becker, Chief Executive Officer, London Public Library.

"London Public Library is undergoing a significant transformation. We are changing how we see and take action in response to our customers and their diverse needs, wants and expectations. Everything is being modified, including our strategy, vision, brand, service model, physical and virtual space design, marketing, technology and our culture. Hear more about the reasons for change, the progress to date, and what's still to come. "

In 2005, the London Public Library seemed to be a successful organization. Why did LPL embark on a journey of change?

1. The Internet's impact has been exponential, not linear. Libraries have a choice - to embrace, ignore or watch this impact unfold.
2. The world in which libraries operate is fast, intense, complex, diverse and inter-dependent. Libraries need to figure out how within this context we can stay viable and important to the community.
3. Our environment is an ocean of technology and information. Libraries need to be seen as a leader in this ocean.
4. Our customers are empowered - they have the power of choice. We need to better understand their needs.
5. LPL has to deal with large urban centre issues (homeless, drug use, etc.). It needed to find a way to contribute and make a difference to the socially excluded.
6. LPL needed to find a path to relevancy (to all ages and groups) in a competitive environment.

Libraries must be about more than the delivery of information. They need to be about learning and empowerment, community-building and the customer experience - customers choose! They choose to enter our doors and be served by us. Or they choose not to.

LPL's Strategic Response - a new Vision:
London Public Library is the Community Hub that strengthens individuals, families and neighbourhoods by connecting them to people and to relevant information, collections, programs and resources.

And a new Value Promise - developed by staff:
On my journey of discovery, through each stage of life, I choose London Public Library...

In order to realize the new Vision and deliver on the Value Promise, LPL needed to realign its organization. The customer experience has moved from "shhhhh" to lively engagement, power walls, "ask us" signs and staff buttons, teen spaces, a virtual library branch, a website designed to engage and empower the customer, and a new marketing approach.

All this meant big changes for the LPL culture. To deliver on the Value Promise to the customer, staff developed a new approach to service:

• Postive and proactive
• Empowered through projects to deliver our Value Promise
• We embrace learning, change and innovation
• We put customers first

LPL Website: http://www.londonpubliclibrary.ca/