LS 581, Universal Design for Information Technologies

 What I have learned so far in the information throughout the modules can be summed up into one statement: "Do not make assumptions about ability." I have tried to keep that in mind now as I think of someone who may have a disability. The truth is you should never judge ability based on experience. Leading with the assumption that someone who is elderly is going to find technology usage challenging is a rude stigma that can alter their interaction with library staff and lead to a negative feeling about library use.  While going through the chapters in Keep it Simple, I had in mind my own academic library. To my knowledge, we have no equipment to assist people with print disabilities. We have no texts in braille, no magnifiers or screen readers for books, and very little available information on our website for on how we can potentially Interlibrary Loan materials or audiobooks that are more accessible to those expressing that need. We also have little to no staff training on ...

 I consider my most embarrassing moment in my professional life to be the time that I was assisting a student who I did not realize had a visual impairment. I was trying to assist a student wirelessly print from their laptop. They were running late for their next class and their credentials weren't working for the wireless printing service and to print from her own laptop, I knew she would have to go to IT and have her credentials reset so she could wirelessly print from her laptop. She did not have time to do that so I suggested she send her materials to herself via email and use one of our public computers to print. She seemed frustrated and let me know that our computers were inaccessible to her. She wouldn't have been able to see to print from our computers. I was extremely embarrassed to have so thoughtlessly assumed that anyone could access our computers. Unfortunately, accessibility at my institution campus-wide has not been a priority, and it became one of my goals to p...

 Current ADA descriptions of what constitutes a disability provides limitations through the way the mental or physical disability must impair a major life activity, such as walking, talking, seeing or learning. When compared with the concepts of the ICF and the BMW Meta-Model, the latter two factor in critical aspects of what an individual with a disability might encounter, such as their social environment, as well as physical. Where the current ADA concepts focus on the individual with the disability, the other two integrate physical, mental, environmental, and social aspects, thus making it more comprehensive. The ICF classifications acknowledge that disability occurs in varying degrees  The BMW-Meta method brings to light the unfortunate nature of how our environment is typically more limiting to an individual than their own disability. This method also shows how limiting ADA descriptions of what constitutes a disability can be as qualifications for special services have to...

 My rendition of a person with a disability shows a person siting in a wheelchair because they have a physical disability that requires the use of one. My drawing of an elderly person features a person that walks with a cane in case their balance is off or they are unsteady and they have glasses to show that their eyesight has declines. I drew both individuals with a smile on their face.  After watching the videos and reading the course material in this module, my biggest takeaway is the importance of a person-first centered approach when discussing access, providing service, and meeting individualized needs. The way the  Guidelines For Writing about People with Disabilities  frame this language establishes a connection with the person, then the disability they have to make it clear that a person is a person, not defined by their disability, especially when their disability if visually evident. Judging someone's capabilities off of what you see visually is one of the...