Universal Design

    Is Universal Design present in your surroundings? Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a "framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn." (CAST, 2024) Instead of designing your facility, lesson plans, or services for an average person, you instead want to also consider and design for individuals with a range of abilities or disabilities. Things such as different learning styles, physical impairments, cultures, languages, ages, neurodiversity, etc.

    Making your library accessible to them will make it more usable by everyone and minimize the need for special accommodations which will help everyone from all backgrounds feel more welcome. So, is Universal Design present in my surroundings? I work at a public library branch, which aims to be free and accessible to all. I recorded a video of accommodations that are visibly being promoted at my workplace.

video source: author's

• In the video we began outside of the library. The Book-drop is wheelchair accessible and easy enough to pull up to without having to leave a vehicle. There are designated handicap parking spots at the front of the library. The pathway leading up to the entrance of the library has no stairs, so it is wheelchair accessible and easier to walk for those who may need to avoid such obstacles for their physical health. There are buttons to press that will have the doors open automatically.
• Inside the aisles are large enough to fit a wheelchair and plenty of space to maneuver in general. I would like to add that our supervisor has a child who uses a wheelchair so we tend to be a bit more mindful with this specific type of accessibility in our space. We also want there to be empty spaces around tables so that an individual with a wheelchair has a place to go without having to maneuver furniture.
• There’s a variety of other resources offered. For visual impairments we offer large-print books, audiobooks, and headphones at computers. We also work with Ohio Library for the Blind & Print Disabled(OLBPD) which is a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the State of Ohio by mail.
• For those who need accommodations due to transportation or physical issues we offer a Homebound program which is where we have a team bring a personalized picks from the library to your home bi-weekly. For those who simply live farther away, we have a Bookmobile that sets up locations for a shorter commute
• As for our young learners, we offer different styles of learning besides books. We have read-alongs where you listen to a CD as you read a physical copy of the book, a digital learning center that provides educational learning on all subjects in a computer game format, and we circulate Leap-Pad educational tablets.

 

    The collection is diverse and the staff are well-educated and prepared to help with technology, and equipped with Google Translator for language barriers. There definitely is room for improvement, staff have noticed and vocalized before that our water fountain and restrooms are not wheelchair accessible. But that seems to be a decision only the higher-ups can make happen. We have also discussed that we would like to find a convenient app or tool to have on hand for sign-language. Overall, I think our little library does better than most to be accessible to as many different types as possible. 

References

About universal design for learning. CAST. (2024, August 15). https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl