Friday, April 21, 2017

Two-minute accessibility quiz

Is your library accessible to people who face more than the typical barriers to using it? Find out in with this quick quiz!




Add one point for each of these:


1. A wheelchair-accessible computer station


2. A way to get into the restrooms that doesn't require manually opening a door


3. Large print materials that are distinguished physically in any way (a separate section, with stickers, whatever)


4. Text-to-speech software of any kind on public computers


5. A website that has any of the following features: alt-text over images, text in a language other than English, the awareness that color blind people exist


Subtract one point for each of these:


1. Any piece of assistive technology (large print keyboard, trackball mouse, magnifying glass, etc.) that is kept behind the desk and not advertised anywhere


2. Any non-English materials that are labelled only in English


3. Any policy or sign using the words/phrases "disabled," "wheelchair-bound" or "the handicapped"


4. A "No dogs in the library" sign


5. No provisions for people who cannot travel to the library to access library materials




Scoring:
Three to five: Congratulations! Your library is actually doing okay!
Negative two to two: Your library is average, but "average" as in "only as bad as a typical library," not as in "okay."
Negative five to negative three: Do you work with me?


What do you think, readers? Anything you would add to make the five-minute version?



3 comments:

  1. subtract one for a ref desk with a desk that has a raised counter so that people using wheelchairs can barely see the ref librarian

    ReplyDelete
  2. -2, bad. Plus shelves in stacks are too close together for wheelchairs.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fail, fail, fail.

    ReplyDelete