Library Equipment & Facilities Management: Library Service to Persons with Disabilities
Information and links about accessibility & ADA, environmental concerns, ergonomics, safety, and security.
The American Library Association recognizes that people with disabilities are a large and neglected minority in the 
community and are severely under-represented in the library profession. Disabilities cause many personal challenges. In addition, many people with disabilities face economic inequity, illiteracy, cultural isolation, and discrimination in education, employment and the broad range of societal activities.
Libraries play a catalytic role in the lives of people with disabilities by facilitating their full participation in society. Libraries should use strategies based upon the principles of universal design to ensure that library policy, resources and services meet the needs of all people.
community and are severely under-represented in the library profession. Disabilities cause many personal challenges. In addition, many people with disabilities face economic inequity, illiteracy, cultural isolation, and discrimination in education, employment and the broad range of societal activities.Libraries play a catalytic role in the lives of people with disabilities by facilitating their full participation in society. Libraries should use strategies based upon the principles of universal design to ensure that library policy, resources and services meet the needs of all people.
This resource guide provides information on ALA policies and resources for library service to persons with disabilities, information on ALA working groups, a selected bibliography, and other online resources.
ALA Groups Working on Accessibility Issues
- LITA Accessibility Interest GroupThis interest group is intended as a resource and discussion forum about library disability service issues such as web accessibility, assistive technology, reference and instruction for users with disabilities, and any other disability issues of interest to participants.
- ACRL Universal Accessibility Interest GroupThe Universal Accessibility Interest group offers librarians, support staff, students, and other advocates networking and collaboration opportunities, information sharing and programming to promote accessibility in academic libraries, including web accessibility, assistive technology, reference and instruction for users with disabilities and captioning processes.
- ASGCLA Disability AssemblyEstablished to advance ALA's continuing commitment to diversity and to accessibility of library and information services for all, including people with physical, sensory or mental disabilities, as reflected in the ALA policy on library services to people with disabilities (54.3.2); to facilitate communication among ALA units
ALA Policies and Statements
- Library Services for People with DisabilitiesBroad-based policy statement covering library services, facilities, assistive technology, employment, and several ALA services.
- Services to People with Disabilities: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of RightsAn explication of The Library Bill of Rights articles with a focus on services to people with disabilities.
