Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Disability And Accessibility Language In Subject Headings And Social Tags, Mackenzie Johnson, Carlie Forsythe

FIMS Publications

Mackenzie Johnson and Carlie Forsythe’s article on disability and accessibility language in subject headings and social tagging stresses the importance of involving subject experts in the creation of subject headings, and of getting the headings right to allow effective information retrieval. The authors also assess the ‘third way’, of semi-structured, moderated social tagging systems, that lies between fully controlled vocabularies and free social tagging.

Towards An Accessible Library, Annie Bélanger

Presentations

• Why Accessibility?
• What is Accessibility?
  • Legislation
  • Accommodation vs Accessibility
  • Shifting to a proactive approach
• Principles of Accessibility
• Print Disabilities
  • What constitutes a print disability?
• How to Increase Accessible Service
  • Barriers
  • Making a daily commitment
• Tips for Daily Interactions
• All together to Prevent New Barriers
• Open Q&A

Vrsensory: Designing Inclusive Virtual Games With Neurodiverse Children, Ben Wasserman, Derek Prate, Bryce Purnell, Alex Muse, Kaitlyn Abdo, Kendra Day, Louanne Boyd

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

We explore virtual environments and accompanying interaction styles to enable inclusive play. In designing games for three neurodiverse children, we explore how designing for sensory diversity can be understood through a formal game design framework. Our process reveals that by using sensory processing needs as requirements we can make sensory and social accessible play spaces. We contribute empirical findings for accommodating sensory differences for neurodiverse children in a way that supports inclusive play. Specifically, we detail the sensory driven design choices that not only support the enjoyability of the leisure activities, but that also support the social inclusion of sensory-diverse …

Building An Inclusive Library Through Staff Accessibility Training, K.T. L. Vaughan

Libraries

Libraries provide a needed third place for students to engage with their peers and faculty, both academically and socially. Staff behavior, knowledge, and skills in providing an accessible and inclusive environment are key to helping students with disabilities feel that they belong in the libraries. This makes training in disability and accessibility awareness a necessary component of the overall program for the library. This study assessed a locally-developed, online training program for staff of all levels that was intended to improve staff knowledge and skills in disability etiquette, library services and spaces that support people with disabilities, and the policies …

Availability And Accessibility As Factors Affecting The Use Of Information Resources By Insurance Practitioners In Ibadan, Oyo State, Samuel Olusegun Olusegun Adepoju Mr, Jemilat Iyabo Arilesere Mrs, Hafeez Folounsho Ajibona Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Insurance practitioners need information for their daily work activities, especially decision-making and way of implementing the decisions for organizational sources. Several studies have been carried out on information variables (information accessibility, availability and information) in academic institutions and libraries but few on insurance practitioners in Ibadan. The study, therefore investigates availability and accessibility as factors affecting the use of information resources by insurance practitioners in Ibadan. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study population was ten insurance companies in Ibadan out of which a sample of four companies was selected. A total of 100 or 83.3% …

Availability, Accessibility And Utilization Of E-Resources By Senior Acedemics In Mautech, Yola, Abubakar Mohammed Kareto

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.

Issues And Challenges In Accessing And Utilization Of Information Resources By Students Of Fuaa, Lawal Mohammed Tukur

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstracts

The study was conducted to analyze Issues and Challenges in Accessing and Utilization of Information Resources by students of Federal University Agriculture Abeokuta. Four research objectives guided the study. 306 copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents in the university and in response only 217 were received from the student’s community. Simply a stratified random sampling technique was employed for the study due to the largeness of the population. In the data analysis, frequency counts, simple percentages, and charts were used for the statistical analysis. The findings revealed that the availability of information resources such as …

Availability And Accessibility Of Information Resources By Students In Tertiary Institutions. A Case Study Of Gboko Polytechnic Gboko- Benue State, Nigeria., Ugba Terlanga Cln, Tondo Richard Iorver, Tofi Simon Ternenge Cln, Akosu Hyacinth Akosu, Akaaimo Gabriel Terhemen

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT:

The study was designed to investigate the availability and accessibility of information resources by students in tertiary institution: A case study of Gboko Polytechnic Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. The study employed a survey research design. Population of the study comprised of 562 students of the polytechnic under study. 120 respondents were draw from the population using simple random sampling technique to form the sample size. Questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The collected data was analyzed using simple percentages. The study revealed that information resources in the library under study are grossly inadequate. The library has …

Talking The Talk: Public Library Oral History Projects On The Web, Georgia Westbrook

School of Information Studies - Post-doc and Student Scholarship

This research-in-progress poster considers how oral history projects are, or are not, presented on the websites of public libraries who host them, and attendant issues related to accessibility, privacy, ethics, and community engagement. A study of 38 public library websites revealed several trends, and some surprising non-trends, in the presentation of oral history programs. This poster draws on those patterns to explore three critical questions:

• What are some best practices for sharing oral histories online?
• What are the ethical considerations of sharing oral histories online?
• What accessibility issues exist related to oral histories online and what are public libraries doing …

Awareness, Accessibility And Factors Hindering Utilization E-Journals At The Institute Of Finance Management, Tanzania, Christian Michael Mubofu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study focused on the awareness, accessibility and factors hindering the utilization of e-journals at the Institute of Finance Management. Specifically the study sought to identify the level of awareness, accessibility and factors affecting students and academic staff in utilizing the e-journals. To achieve these objectives the study employed mixed method research designs in which in-depth interviews and questionnaire were used to collect data from a sample of 141respondents i.e. 100 students and 41 academic staff. The surveyed data has been analysed by using SPSS (20.0) and content analysis for quantitative and qualitative data has been undertaken respectively. Table presentations …

Towards High-Empathy Hiring: Implementing Leading Practices For More Inclusive Recruitment, Sarah Beaubien, Annie Bélanger, Scott Ayotte

Presentations

Have you ever wondered if the interview process could be a kinder, more accessible experience, meant to develop connections? Would you like to critically examine practices in the hiring process to ensure empathy to applicants going through the process? In taking a closer look at our own practices, collaborating with the Office of Inclusion and Equity, we have made changes, which have led to a more positive experience for candidates and our organizational outcomes.

Project Sidewalk: A Web-Based Crowdsourcing Tool For Collecting Sidewalk Accessibility Data At Scale, Manaswi Saha, Michael Saugstad, Hanuma Maddali, Aileen Zeng, Ryan Holland, Steven Bower, Aditya Dash, Sage Chen, Anthony Li, Kotaro Hara, Jon Froehlich

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We introduce Project Sidewalk, a new web-based tool that enables online crowdworkers to remotely label pedestrian-related accessibility problems by virtually walking through city streets in Google Street View. To train, engage, and sustain users, we apply basic game design principles such as interactive onboarding, mission-based tasks, and progress dashboards. In an 18-month deployment study, 797 online users contributed 205,385 labels and audited 2,941 miles of Washington DC streets. We compare behavioral and labeling quality differences between paid crowdworkers and volunteers, investigate the effects of label type, label severity, and majority vote on accuracy, and analyze common labeling errors. To complement …

Older Adults’ Perceptions Regarding Transportation Services In San Jose, Ca: Access, Barriers, And Innovations, Deborah Bolding

Mineta Transportation Institute

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of older adults concerning barriers to the use of public transportation, to identify programs and services that best meet transportation needs, and to obtain suggestions for improvements or innovations in order to enable them to engage more fully in their community. Four focus groups, with a total of 25 participants, were held in three locations in San Jose, CA. While the participants were able to use public transportation to access shopping, medical services and other destinations, they expressed concerns related to physical barriers, frequency of services, the behavior of some …

Paper Prototyping Comfortable Vr Play For Diverse Sensory Needs, Louanne E. Boyd, Kendra Day, Ben Wasserman, Kaitlyn Abdo, Gillian Hayes, Erik J. Linstead

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

We co-designed paper prototype dashboards for virtual environments for three children with diverse sensory needs. Our goal was to determine individual interaction styles in order to enable comfortable and inclusive play. As a first step towards an inclusive virtual world, we began with designing for three sensory-diverse children who have labels of neurotypical, ADHD, and autism respectively. We focused on their leisure interests and their individual sensory profiles. We present the results of co-design with family members and paper prototyping sessions conducted by family members with the children. The results contribute preliminary empirical findings for accommodating different levels of engagement …

Carts In The Hallway: Cataloging And Special Collections–A Partnership For Success, David Schuster, Rachel Turner

Library Scholarship

The purpose of the article is to demonstrate how Binghamton University Libraries has changed the workflows and channels of communication between Special Collections and the Technical Services Department. Over the last two years these departments have worked to foster cooperative decision making in order to increase understanding of project priorities and allow for more efficient cataloging, leading to greater accessibility of Special Collections items. The article also looks at how this relationship can be expanded upon in the future, so that cataloging/metadata librarians and Special Collections staff and librarians can work together to create better access to materials.

2019 Accessibility Roundtable Customer Service Planning, Annie Bélanger

Presentations

Accessibility permeates all aspects of our public-facing work. Being accessible is in every aspect of workflow development and application for user services and support. Many more than the manager are involved in the development and application of our guidelines, practices and procedures. It is everyone’s responsibility.

The session covered:

• What is accessibility?
• Accessible Customer Service
  • Leading Practices
  • Practical approaches to delivery
  • Planning with Accessibility in Mind
  • Resources to learn more about accessibility in libraries

The session is premised on goal of accessibility, or moving beyond compliance. As such, accessible means that a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity …

Understanding The Construction Of Accessibility And Mobility: Non-Car Transportation In St. Louis, Missouri, Hannah N. Shumway

Geography Honors Projects

This research examines disadvantaged populations’ accessibility and mobility in the non-car transportation system in St. Louis. By employing mixed methods, this research investigates accessibility and mobility through three distinct scholarly lenses: physical infrastructure and proximity, individual experiences, and political processes. The thesis synthesizes the analyses from these three approaches in order to provide holistic policy recommendations for creating more equitable transportation systems in St. Louis and beyond. Empirical findings show that neighborhoods with lower median incomes and lower percentages of white population in St. Louis are less accessible for biking and walking, with highly variable public transit accessibility. Bike system …

Systemic Workplace Barriers For Academic Librarians With Disabilities, Joanne Oud

Library Publications

Although studies related to diversity within librarianship as a profession are increasing, few have examined librarians with disabilities—and none so far have included their voices or perspectives. This qualitative study involved interviews with ten academic librarians with disabilities in Canada. With a grounding in the social model of disability, it examines their workplace experiences and concerns and the barriers they face within the context of cultural assumptions about disability and work, finding that the major barriers encountered are lack of awareness of disability issues and negative cultural stereotypes of disability.

Availability, Accessibility, And Use Of Electronic Information Resources For Research By Students In Francis Sulemanu Idachaba Library University Of Agriculture, Makurdi, Tofi Simon Ternenge, Fanafa Kashimana

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT: The study investigated availability, accessibility and use of electronic information resources for research by students in Francis Sulemanu Idachaba Library University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The study looked at the types of electronic information resources available for research by students, extent of availability, accessibility and utilization of the available electronic information resources for research as well as problems encountered by students while accessing and utilizing the available electronic information resources for research by students. Five (5) objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study. The study adopted a survey research design, the population of the study was …

Investigation Of Accessibility Of Electronic Music Resources For The Visually Impaired, Geraldine Rinna, Michael J. Duffy Iv, Taylor E. Arndt, Michele D. Behr

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

The number of students at Western Michigan University (WMU) who require accommodation for disabilities has been increasing in recent years, and is expected to continue to increase in the future. While the University Libraries tries to be responsive to all types of accommodations, students with visual impairments present a particular challenge for libraries to ensure their electronic resources are accessible. Most visually impaired students utilize “screen readers,” software programs that use a speech synthesizer to “read” the text that is displayed on the screen, to navigate web based resources. In an effort to try to better understand how specific screen …

Accessible Customer Service Practices, Kristin Meyer, Samantha Minnis, Kiersten Quilliams

Library Reports and Communication

Grand Valley State University and University Libraries (UL) are committed to inclusion and diversity. Additionally, University Libraries has a shared service philosophy—Steps to Giving Great Service—to guide how we deliver customer service across the Libraries. The following practices are meant to provide employees with practical tips on how to provide accessible customer service. These practices align with our larger service philosophy and support the university’s values of inclusion and equity. Accessibility is defined by the University Libraries IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) committee as: “Ensuring our tools, devices, services, and environments are available to and usable by as many …

Roll For Initiative: A Player’S Guide To Tabletop Role-Playing Games In Libraries, Carlie Forsythe

FIMS Publications

Independent study exploring the history of tabletop role-playing games, their intrinsic benefits, and how they can be implemented into library collections and programs. I also explore the accessibility of tabletop role-playing games and how they can be made more accessible. To conclude, I present a series of recommendations and valuable resources for librarians and enthusiasts.

Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study Of Blind Adults Successfully Employed In American Corporations, Kirk Adams

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Blind and visually impaired people in the United States face a dire employment situation within professional careers and corporate employment. The purpose of this research study was to gain insights into the phenomenon of employment of blind people through analyzing the lived experience of successfully employed blind adults through ethnographic interviews. Previous research has shown that seven out of ten blind adults are not in the workforce, that a large percentage of those who are employed consider themselves underemployed, and that these numbers have not improved over time. Missing from previous research were insights into the conditions leading to successful …

Accessibility And Decay Of Web Citations In Computer Science Journals, Mohsen Jalali

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The aim of this research is to scrutiny the accessibility and decay of web citations (URLs) used in refereed articles published by 27 Computer Science open access journals as indexed by Scopus. To do this, at first, we downloaded 1000 articles of Computer Science open access journals from 2009 to 2018. After acquiring articles, their web citations are extracted and analyzed from the accessibility and decay point of view. Moreover, for initially missed web citations complementary pathways such as using Google search engine are employed. Then, data collected are analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Research findings indicated that 80.7% of …