Learning and Accessibility

Libraries and other educational institutions need to expand staff awareness and sensitivity to a more diverse group of library users through training. These resources provide guidance on how to interact with persons with disabilities and how to create appropriate services.

Training for Library Staff:

• Project ENABLE (Expanding Non-discriminatory Access By Librarians Everywhere) offers free, self-paced, online training specifically for librarians. Users who successfully complete all of the training modules and quizzes can obtain a Certificate of Achievement.
• A handy booklet of Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities provides guidance for a wide range of situations. This one is worth printing and sharing with all your staff.
• Learn how to speak about people with disabilities using language from this People First chart.
• The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) has created a series of online training modules, including some on disability etiquette and how to interact with an individual who has a disability.
• "At Your Service: Welcoming Customers with Disabilities" is a self-paced webcourse for people interested in discovering best practices for working with patrons and customers who have disabilities.
• "Reaching out to Customers with Disabilities" is another self-paced webcourse explaining how the ADA applies to nonprofits and businesses.
• Serving Library Users on the Autism Spectrum is an online course designed by experts in both the library and autism fields. It consists of a series of four independent, self-paced instructional modules that are intended for librarians and library staff to learn how to better serve their users with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• For training on interacting with patrons with autism, try Autism Services and Resources of Connecticut or the FOCUS Center for Autism.
• For training on interacting with patrons who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, try BnB Global Services.