Transcript Don’t make the blind kid play Dodge ball

Don’t make the blind kid
play Dodge ball
Who are you?
Angie: Librarian born with a visual impairment
Dale: PhD in rehabilitation counseling, MLS and
instructor at Emporia State University
Students with disabilities
99% of public colleges enroll students with disabilities.
Students are under no obligation to disclose disabilities
unless they are requesting accommodations.
Disabilities are often hidden….until they are forced
into the open.
Why worry about it?
Library Instruction is often about making students
comfortable and familiar with the library. A student
who is alienated cannot do that.
Paying attention to the needs of students with
disabilities also makes it easier to accommodate
students with different learning styles.
Think about your elementary/ high school gym
experience….
Accommodations with benefits
Curb cuts are used by people with strollers or rolling
bags.
People who don’t “need” large print often find it easier
to read
Closed captions are used by people who don’t “need”
them
We are all TABs
Age, disease and accident will diminish most human’s
physical and/or cognitive abilities.
Common problems with library
instruction games
Require physical dexterity
Require navigating unfamiliar territory
Require using ADA accessible routes that may not be
readily apparent
Require students to use computers without adaptive
technology
What to do
Work to include students in the flow of things as much
as possible.
Consider whether or not a planned activity could
exclude students with disabilities
What accommodations can you make the the activity?
Can you make accommodations on the fly?
The following slides provide examples and solutions.
Online jigsaw puzzle
Requires dexterity and visual acuity
Does not respond to magnification or screen readers
Use only if you know your students do not require
accommodations.
Scavenger Hunts
Physically orienting to a new space is difficult for
students with visual or mobility impairments.
Navigating new spaces can also present challenges to
students on the Autism Spectrum
How accessible is your library?
Making scavenger hunts better
Offer a brief (5 minutes) physical tour of the library
Know the accessible route to all the destinations in the
library
Make sure any competition is all in fun and make the
prizes minor.
Take a critical look at your signage….could someone
with a visual impairment make use of it?
Library’s best beach ball
Catching a thrown object is difficult for students with
visual or mobility impairments
To randomize the things students look at try a random
list generator like http://www.random.org
Library Quest
Students answer questions using library resources.
Answers are written on large sticky notes and posted in
the front of the classroom with the rules being
projected on a screen
Be sure to read any rules aloud and have at least one
copy that students with visual or print disabilities can
hold and read during the game.
Read the answers aloud, don’t just count on one
student to mark them.
Youtube Detective
Students watch a youtube video, of their choice, and
use it to find both scholarly and popular information
about the contents of the video.
Many youtube videos are not captioned and/or images
are not of sufficient quality for visually impaired
students to use.
Allow students to dissect a meme, Facebook post, email or other lore they are interested in.
Help students find captioned videos.
Comic book storytelling
Students write a script and use an iPad (and ap!) to
create a comic book exploring the library.
The ap is not friendly to students with severe visual
impairments. Ipads can be very awkward for people
with mobility or dexterity issues.
Students can instead be prompted to tell a story about
the library in a way that works for them.
1 minute paper
Exit Pass
Writing on the fly present challenges for people with
visual, print and mobility disabilities.
Generally a low risk activity that can be modified by
accepting verbal feedback or papers at a later time.
For more information
Angie Brunk [email protected]
Dale Monobe [email protected]