Library and Information Science Commons^™

Considering "Atmosphere" When Facilitating Information Seeking By People With Invisible Disabilities In Public Libraries, Rebecca Muir, Kim M. Thompson, Asim Qayyum

Faculty Publications

Twenty percent of Australians reported having a disability in 2015. Disability may occur at any time during the lifespan, however most disabilities are invisible. When a disability is invisible, or not immediately apparent to an outsider, individuals may need to self-identify to access inclusive services, or accommodation may never be offered at all.

When the perceived number of information seekers with a disability is low, information organisations may deem services unnecessary. Considering information access is a human right, information service providers and researchers need to seek low cost and low effort ways to facilitate information access and information seeking behaviors. …