Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Attitudes Towards Library Patrons With Physical Challenges: A Survey Of Members Of The Public Library Division Of The Alabama Library Association, Jackie Brodsky, Muriel K. Wells

The Southeastern Librarian

By surveying members of the Public Library Division of the Alabama Library Association, this study sought to determine attitudes toward patrons with physical challenges. The continued growth in the population of persons over age 65, coupled with the fact that nearly one in five Americans report some level of physical challenge, suggests the need for libraries to provide resources and services to this growing constituency. The advent of new technologies and resources for libraries to provide access to information by persons with physical challenges, allows more users to fulfill a more participatory role within their information-seeking activities. The application of …