Internet Instruction for Librarians Serving People with Disabilities

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Welcome to Internet Instruction for Librarians Serving People with Disabilities. These training modules have been designed for librarians who work with people with disabilities as they attempt to use the Internet. You have been chosen because libraries provide an environment for free access to the Internet and are often the location service providers refer people with disabilities to for information. This resource was developed through funding provided by the SBC Foundation.

This workshop is presented to you in three sessions. During the first session, we will have an introduction to disabilities - what do we mean by that word, who qualifies, how many people are we talking about, and service considerations.

The second session will provide an overview of assistive technology used to access the Internet. Information will include what assistive technology can do, the types of devices that are available, who would use them, and where you can find additional information.

TheArcLink is a joint venture with The Arc of the United States, a national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related disabilities and their families. TheArcLink.org is a web site with valuable information for people with disabilities and their families. The final session will introduce you to its contents.

This will be followed by a resource file of additional readings that might be helpful in your work with people with disabilities.

Don't forget to complete the evaluation form at the bottom on this screen.

The word "Accessibility" has many definitions, and this workshop will incorporate many of them. For some, it means paying attention to learning styles. Some people learn better from auditory formats than from print. For some, it means having enough computer capacity to open files in a timely fashion. For people with disabilities, it means designing information so it can be viewed using various assistive technology programs or by providing alternative formats. With these definitions in mind, each of the three sessions of this workshop will be provided in the following formats:

PowerPoint slides with voice-over narration. Access to this file will require higher end computer capacity, but it will support auditory learners. People with visual impairments should be able to access the information from this format using screen reader software, although some may prefer the other format. The sound may not work with your computer.
Print transcripts. Because this is a straight text-based format, these files will open more quickly. People with hearing impairments will have access to information presented on the slides and text of the narration in print format.
PowerPoint slides without narration. This format is presented for those who want to look at the PowerPoint slides, but would rather not listen to the narration. Please use this version with the print transcripts to get the full content.

Feel free to select the version that best meets your needs:

Module 1: Introduction to "Disabilities" (approximately 20 minutes in length)
PowerPoint version with narration (The sound may not work with your computer.)
Transcript version
PowerPoint version without narration

Module 2: Assistive Technology (approximately 15 minutes in length)
PowerPoint version with narration (The sound may not work with your computer.)
Transcript version
PowerPoint version without narration

Module 3: TheArcLink (approximately 15 minutes in length)
PowerPoint version with narration (The sound may not work with your computer.)
Transcript version
PowerPoint version without narration

Resources

Evaluation

Please evaluate this curriculum by clicking here.

The developer of this workshop is Dr. Marilyn Irwin of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University, Bloomington. Dr. Irwin can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

TheArcLink.org

Funding for this project was contributed by SBC Communications through grants to The Arc of Indiana (Indianapolis, Indiana), TARC (Tulsa OK) and The Arc of Texas (Austin TX), all of which sponsor TheArcLink in their respective states.

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