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: 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.

The digital divide

The digital divide is the gap results from inequalities in access to information technologies and the skills needed to use them effectively. As communications, services and commerce continue to go digital, those who do not have these resources are marginalized. Some factors that can contribute to the divide are income, education, geographic location, age, and disability.

Technologies that were designed without accessible options for older adults and people with disabilities can contribute to the divide. Computer workstations that lack ergonomic modifications or mobile devices with small buttons can pose a physical barrier to people with mobility disabilities, for example. Small displays without magnification tools or screen reading technologies can pose a barrier for those with vision impairments. An interface assumed to be intuitive by its designer can pose a challenge for users with cognitive disabilities.

The implementation of assistive technologies in libraries can help mitigate these factors. Library facilities, services and resources should be evaluated for their accessibility, and librarians should be willing to seek and implement solutions to these barriers. Beyond the simple implementation of these technologies, library staff should be trained in the use of these technologies and prepared to assist in their use.

Another contributor to the divide is lack of skill in using newer technologies. Libraries can help users of all ages and abilities to better utilize technology through classes and one-on-one assistance. Library staff should be prepared to teach patrons with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities, and should have an understanding that what seems easy and accessible for some, may not be for all.

Disability culture

There is strength in culture and community, and vulnerability in isolation. I believe that a major part of the role of libraries is to empower their patrons, and to connect people to the resources needed to empower themselves.

Part of the processes of empowerment and self-advocacy is connecting with others who have had similar experiences. Connecting with the culture of disability can help individuals learn to take pride in themselves and their communities and begin to combat the messages of inferiority and shame that are propagated by the dominant culture (Mackelprang & Salsgiver, 2009, p. 128).

Libraries can help by providing the resources and community space for people to connect to the disability community (Mackelprang & Salsgiver, 2009, p. 129). They can reach out to the disability community for resources and advocacy information, which they can in turn make available to their patrons and use to become better service practitioners.

References

Mackelprang, R., & Salsgiver, R. (2009). Disability: A diversity model approach in human service practice (2nd ed.). Chicago: Lyceum Books.

Understanding oppression

Understanding that people with disabilities experience oppression is absolutely essential in the context of libraries and information agencies. A necessary part of providing effective information services is understanding the inequalities which have shaped our society, our attitudes, and our institutions.

The nature of oppression is that it is propagated by complacency. People with privilege – in this case, people who do not have disabilities – must examine and challenge our own problematic attitudes if we want to be part of the solution to oppression, not part of the problem.

We may mean well, but as people who have not experienced ableist oppression, unexamined ableist attitudes can still worm their way into our interactions. These microaggressions (“Ability,” n.d.) can make people with disabilities feel belittled and unsafe, and it is essential for libraries to be maintained as safe spaces for the pursuit of information and services. The hostile environment created by prevailing ableist attitudes in any institution, especially by the professionals working there, will make people less willing to seek assistance there, or less convinced that there is real assistance to be had. This has a chilling effect on access.

In working with people with disabilities as an information professional, I will strive to learn about ableism in our society, examine my own attitudes, and work to disassemble attitudes that are problematic. I will resist any temptation to dismiss the concerns of people with disabilities and their allies (and strive to be an ally myself); I will listen and consider. I will work to ensure that the services and resources I provide are inclusive and helpful for people with disabilities and other oppressed groups.

References

Ability. (n.d.). The Microaggressions Project. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://microaggressions.com/tagged/ability