LIS 7850 wrap up

This class has challenged me to take a closer look at accessibility in libraries. Although equal access has been an important issue for me throughout my career in library and information science, this class has given me a solid framework with which to approach the task of making libraries more accessible.

Before this class, I had spent time reading and learning about disability issues, but this class gave me the opportunity to expand my understanding and think about these issues in the context of libraries. Also, I was far less aware of issues surrounding aging and access issues related to aging, and this class has challenged me to look critically at stereotypes related to age and to examine ways to improve services for older adults.

Through the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, I learned strategies for systematically evaluating library services and ways they can be improved for greater accessibility.

I believe the knowledge and insight I have gained will help me to be a better information professional by bringing more understanding to my interactions with older adults and people with disabilities. I will also be better equipped to evaluate and improve access to library services, design programs targeted for and inclusive of marginalized groups, and educate my colleagues about these issues.

Services at the Detroit Public Library

I visited the Detroit Public Library to learn about services and programs the library system offers for older adults and people with disabilities. I learned that, as my previous perusal of their website indicated, most such services are offered through the Frederick Douglass Branch for Specialized Services, which also houses the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped provides audio, large print books, and other formats to patrons who have difficulty using traditional print media. The librarian there offers programs such as book clubs, programs about the arts, and a sensory garden program that invites patrons to experience plant life through their other senses such as touch and smell.

I also spoke with the librarian in charge of the Library on Wheels, the bookmobile service also headquartered at the Douglass branch. The bookmobile delivers books and other media to senior living apartments and personal residences for patrons who might have difficulty going to the library on their own. They also sometimes set up at rec centers, community organizations and events promoting literacy. For these events, they include a selection of various reading levels to better serve patrons with cognitive disabilities.

Aside from the special services offered through the Douglass branch, free technology courses offered by the Technology, Literacy and Career (TLC) Center at the main branch are, though not targeted toward a specific age group, well attended by older adults. Similar technology courses are offered at other branches in the library system as well.

Movie discussion: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button stands out among other major motion pictures with its nuanced and realistic view of aging. The tendency in our society, especially in popular culture, is to privilege youth and view aging as tragedy. While this movie had deeply poignant moments and did not gloss over the sorrow of loss, it also showed the experiences and relationships at every stage that make life into the rich thing that it is.

Expressed by several characters in the film is the perception that life is somehow over, that you’ve finished achieving and growing as a person, when you’re no longer young. Daisy (Cate Blanchett) felt that her life was over after a car accident ended her career as a ballerina, but she went on to open her own ballet studio, have loving and meaningful relationships, and raise a daughter. Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton) regretted that she did not achieve more in her youth, then years later went on to achieve her dreams. Caroline (Julia Ormond) expressed regret in a belief that she did not turn out the way she wanted to be, but as a letter from Benjamin expressed, there was still time, and you can always change.

Even the more sorrowful moments, such as the final days of Benjamin’s and Daisy’s lives, had overtones of love and caring, which, though painful when loss is near, is what makes life worthwhile.

References

Fincher, D. (2009). The curious case of Benjamin Button [motion picture]. Hollywood, CA: Paramount Home Entertainment.

Movie discussion: Rory O'Shea Was Here

Rory O’Shea Was Here centers on Michael (Steven Robertson) and Rory (James McAvoy), two young men with mobility disabilities who leave an assisted living facility to live on their own terms. The challenges they encounter are numerous, from having to petition to be granted their own right to live as they chose (and, in Rory’s case, being refused) to being limited in their choice of home by the absence of a wheelchair ramp. This film gives an enlightening depiction of the challenges of navigating a society that was not designed for your needs.

I do wish they had taken the opportunity to cast actual people with mobility disabilities in the roles of Rory and Michael. Although neither man’s performance came off as disrespectful or caricature-like, but casting physically abled actors in the roles of people with disabilities detracts from the empowering message the movie is meant to convey.

Overall, though, I thought this was an excellent movie with an eye-opening depiction of the struggles of living with a disability in an ableist society.

References

O’Donnell, D. (Director). (2004). Rory O’Shea was here [Motion picture]. Universal Studios.

Social media and universal access

Social media may enable those who have difficulty leaving their homes or going to the library during often-shrinking hours of operation to access library services. It can also be used to inform those who do not often visit the building of programs and other happenings at the library. We must keep in mind, however, that information technology has its own barriers to use, as discussed in a previous post about the digital divide. Rather than eschewing old technologies for new, libraries can use social media to diversify the formats in which information and services can be made available.

Digital media, when equipped with proper accessibility features, allow users greater freedom to customize the delivery of content to their needs. People with vision impairments can use screen readers or magnify text to a readable size, or people who have difficulty holding or turning the pages of a book or other print format can view and manipulate content on a screen, to name just a few examples. Exploring the potential of new technologies is an important component of the process of achieving access for all.