Students with disabilities and library services: Blending accommodation and universal design

Factors Influencing Academic Library Design in Universities

“…Kim and Yang (2022) explored academic library spaces and student activities during covid-19 pandemic. Roberson, Barefield, and Griffith (2022) investigated students with disabilities and library services: blending accommodation and universal design. Ashiq, Jabeen and Mahmood (2022) investigated on Transformation of libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.…”

Enhancing Inclusivity: Designing Disability Friendly Pedestrian Pathways

“…In essence, the design of facilities within pedestrian areas should accommodate individuals with diverse abilities. Both the form and usage of such should be straightforward to ensure ease of use and minimize burden for users [28].…”

On making libraries and museums more accessible for autistic people

“…(Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2006a: Article 21) Similarly, the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act states under the section on the universal design of information and communications technology: Public undertakings and private undertakings have a duty to ensure that main solutions for information and communications technology (ICT) focused on or made available to users have a universal design, such that the general functions of the undertaking can be used by as many people as possible, regardless of disability. (Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act, 2018: Section 18) Barriers to access Roberson et al (2022: 3) discuss how disabled users report a fear of being misunderstood and that their needs will be deemed dramatic and unfair, as well as how the more 'invisible' disabilities tend to receive less support than the 'visible' ones. Although the library has a duty to be accessible to all, as, for instance, seen through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2006a), barriers to access may be experienced by autistic users.…”

“…With regard to libraries, the suggestions include fostering collaboration with autism support programmes (Anderson, 2021: 113); having different lighting options to avoid sensory aversion to fluorescent lights; being able to guarantee the same study space each time an autistic user visits in order to help maintain predictability and routine; study space availability maps (Roberson et al, 2022: 6); quiet spaces to study or read; spaces with modifications such as ‘non-fluorescent lighting, improved signage, and incorporating principles of Universal Design wherever possible’; tutors, such as creating a space where students with ASD can ‘tutor other students in their area of expertise’; chat references ‘as an alternative to traditional reference desk-based assistance’ in order to help avoid face-to-face interactions; personal librarians; and campus outreach (Shea and Derry, 2019: 330).…”

“…Roberson et al (2022: 3) discuss how disabled users report a fear of being misunderstood and that their needs will be deemed dramatic and unfair, as well as how the more ‘invisible’ disabilities tend to receive less support than the ‘visible’ ones. Although the library has a duty to be accessible to all, as, for instance, seen through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2006a), barriers to access may be experienced by autistic users.…”