Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Nothing About Us Without Us: The Benefits Of Hiring Staff With A Disability In Libraries., Elaine Chapman, Sarah-Anne Kennedy

Conference Papers

There is a common saying amongst the disability communities in many countries, and that is “Nothing about us without us”. This term is usually used to refer to the making of laws and operation of services without prior consultation with the disability community, including library services.

Employing disabled people as staff ties into some of the core philosophies of libraries: improving access, diversity, democracy, open education, lifelong learning, and social responsibility.

Disabled staff members have the benefit (for us!) of having faced accessibility issues of varying kinds in their own lives. They are often able to use this experience to …