While numbers and proportions of older adults with behavioral health issues are expected to substantially increase, there is also a widening gap in available services for older adults. Mobile health interventions (mhealth) are a way to address existing barriers to treatment, provide frontline assessment and increase access to services for older adults. Due to perpetuated stereotypes, many assume that older adults do not utilize mobile technology nor will they accept a mHealth intervention. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize contemporary literature from information technology and healthcare regarding: (1) current mobile technology utilization by older adults, particularly in regards to health; (2) factors affecting older adult motivation to engage with mobile technology; and (3) older adult preferences for interacting with mobile technology. Findings reveal that significant proportions of older adults: already utilize mobile technology; are willing to engage in existing mobile interventions for health reasons; and have positive attitudes overall towards mobile technology. Finally, recommendations for optimizing mobile interventions to better suit older adults with behavioral health problems are reviewed.

This qualitative study explores the understanding and perspectives of faculty in US library and information science (LIS) programs about teaching web accessibility. "Web accessibility" can be defined simply as making websites accessible for all, including people with disabilities. Eight LIS professors and two graduate LIS students or recent alumni with interests in accessibility were interviewed for the study. Results showed that, although some faculty were novices, most interviewees thought it would be beneficial to teach web accessibility in a variety of LIS courses. However, despite the seeming consensus, discussion of incorporating web accessibility into curricula was rare. This study explores possible reasons for the marginalization of web accessibility in LIS. The authors contend that greater support for initiatives to integrate web accessibility into LIS curricula is essential for enabling LIS practitioners to comply with legal standards and with LIS values of inclusion. E qual access for all-including people with disabilities-to the web, mobile devices, and other digital technologies is a legal requirement in the United States as well as a matter of social justice. In the past, printed reading materials had to be remediated (reformatted) in order for individuals with certain disabilities to be able to use them. For example, textbooks were read onto cassette tapes for people with dyslexia and vision disabilities. Nonetheless, most of the world's written material has either remained entirely inaccessible to people with disabilities (Kerscher and Fruchterman 2002; Schroeder 2013) or availability has been delayed or compromised in quality (Kerscher and Fruchterman 2002). Today, digital technologies make it possible that materials could widely be made equally accessible to people with disabilities. To realize this possibility, accessibility needs to be built in to technologies at the point of design. Retrofitting takes time, so it delays the person with the disability and causes bureaucratic obstacles. Further, segregated services and technologies get much less attention and are often of inferior quality to those provided to nondisabled users. Librarians have an important role to play in realizing this possibility for equal accessibility, both as creators of digital content and as selectors of electronic resources.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore a topic where blind participants expressed significant concern: obtaining full text and accessible full text. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study includes 18 open-ended telephone interviews with blind academic library users in the USA. The study uses the viewpoint that understanding blind peoples’ perspectives is essential for equal accessibility. Findings Locating full text via link resolvers seemed problematic. Inaccessible articles and complications and delays creating accessible versions of print books limited participants’ use of materials. Enabling technologies and services were highlighted. Research limitations/implications Caution should be used when generalizing from this study due to its sample size and methodology. The study is not a web accessibility test, which would analyze coding, nor a usability test, which would observe users. Additional research would be ideal; however, libraries should not wait to attend to accessibility. Practical implications In addition to improving digital accessibility, to address difficulty obtaining full text, libraries could offer to locate full text for blind users and implement SmartLinking and single sign on authentication. To deal with inaccessible full text, libraries could work with disability offices to obtain accessible materials and to convert materials to accessible format. DRM free HTML or EPUB e-books can have accessibility advantages. Outsourcing conversion to accessible format can also help. Libraries could offer reader service to assist blind users locating relevant sections of books to convert. Originality/value Compared to previous studies, this study includes a larger number of blind screen reader users; describes some unique issues; and includes blind users’ own interpretations.

Eighteen academic library users who are blind were interviewed about their experiences with academic libraries and the libraries’ websites using an open-ended questionnaire and recorded telephone interviews. The study approaches these topics from a user-centered perspective, with the idea that blind users themselves can provide particularly reliable insights into the issues and potential solutions that are most critical to them. Most participants used reference librarians’ assistance, and most had positive experiences. High-level screen reader users requested help with specific needs. A larger number of participants reported contacting a librarian because of feeling overwhelmed by the library website. In some cases, blind users and librarians worked verbally without the screen reader. Users were appreciative of librarians’ help but outcomes were not entirely positive. Other times, librarians worked with users to navigate with a screen reader, which sometimes led to greater independence. Some users expressed satisfaction with working with librarians verbally, particularly if websites did not seem screen reader user friendly, but many users preferred independence. Participants agreed it would be helpful if librarians knew how to use screen readers, or at least if librarians were familiar enough with screen readers to provide relevant verbal cues. Many users liked and used chat reference and many preferred Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) to learn citation style, though learning citation style was challenging. Questions such as reference librarians’ role when e-resources are not equally accessible deserve wider discussion in the library literature and in practice. Given the challenges described by the research participants and legal requirements for equally effective electronic and information technologies, libraries and librarians should approach reference services for blind users more proactively. Recommendations are provided.

While numbers and proportions of older adults with behavioral health issues are expected to substantially increase, there is also a widening gap in available services for older adults. Mobile health interventions (mhealth) are a way to address existing barriers to treatment, provide frontline assessment and increase access to services for older adults. Due to perpetuated stereotypes, many assume that older adults do not utilize mobile technology nor will they accept a mHealth intervention. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize contemporary literature from information technology and healthcare regarding: (1) current mobile technology utilization by older adults, particularly in regards to health; (2) factors affecting older adult motivation to engage with mobile technology; and (3) older adult preferences for interacting with mobile technology. Findings reveal that significant proportions of older adults: already utilize mobile technology; are willing to engage in existing mobile interventions for health reasons; and have positive attitudes overall towards mobile technology. Finally, recommendations for optimizing mobile interventions to better suit older adults with behavioral health problems are reviewed.