Accessibility policies in libary and information science
Abstract
Services to persons with disabilities is a topic of interest across library and information science (LIS). The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) had had a policy in place since 1998. The American Library Association (ALA) has provided a guidance policy since 2001. The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) released their guidance policy in 2016. This paper presents a thematic analysis of these three policies to better understand how services to persons with disabilities is conceptualized.
Alison Brown
Department of Information Science, Dalhousie University
Alison Brown is a lecturer and doctoral student in the Department of Information Sciences at Dalhousie University. She studies how bringing people together to read aloud and discuss literature can strengthen relational wellbeing and support social inclusion in our diverse communities. This builds on her MLIS thesis work that explored the outcomes of a shared reading program for incarcerated mothers and their families. Alison’s teaching and research interests include community-led services, the sociology of reading, services and resources for children and young adults, and information experience. When not working, she takes long walks, hosts breakfast parties, curls up with books, and seeks sunshine (literal and metaphorical) with family and friends.