Assistive Technology & Libraries By: Laura Berkey

Assistive Technology

Libraries and the Digital Divide

Libraries Help Disabled Patrons Close the Digital Divide - Marta Bachynsky 

What is the Digital Divide? The Digital Divide is the gap that separates people who have access to the tools of information technology and communication, as well as the knowledge those services provide from people who don’t have such access or skills (Cullen, 2001). There are many communities that are affected by the Digital Divide, such as those with low literacy levels, the unemployed, those with low literacy levels, etc. One of the communities close to my heart that the Digital Divide has a great effect on is people with disabilities. This includes physical disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment, mobility issues, and cognitive impairments such as dyslexia or autism spectrum disorder. According to CDC, there are 61 million adults in America with some form of physical or cognitive disability, and the number is growing as the population ages (CDC 2020). The United States Census Bureau reports that there are over three million children that are disabled in this country (Crankshaw, et al., 2021), although some sources report that there are over five million children receiving special education in the United States (Kurtts, 2012). As you can see, this is not a small number of people who are potentially affected by the Digital Divide, and they each have their own problems connecting with the world of technology.

Libraries have an important role in closing the Digital Divide by providing and promoting services in the form of adaptive technology to accommodate those members of their community who are disabled. A strong advocate for helping the disabled overcome the barriers in using computers in the library is the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (Bourdon, 2002). They help disabled patrons gain access to workstations by making library workers aware of resources available to them to improve library spaces. ASCLA has also created and ALA scholarship to help those disabled people who want to pursue a career in librarianship. I believe this will help the disabled population to gain more access to library resources because they will have direct advocates working on their behalf, people who understand what is needed for the to bridge the Digital Divide. Another group, the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) advocates for special needs children. They support a blog, Special Needs Awareness www.alsc.ala.org/blog/category/ special-needs-awareness, that allows the sharing of ideas about library and information access issues for children (Mates, 2012). Over the years, there have been many advances in assistive technology to help bridge the Digital Divide for those who are disabled, although many people, including librarians are unaware of their existence. The other problem is the lack of funding to not only create these devices, but also implement their use. This is why we need calls to action and pressure put on the government bodies in charge of library funding, and this includes the governing bodies of universities and colleges who might otherwise deem it better to build a better sports arena.

If you’re interested, here is a lengthy, but excellent webinar that discusses ways in which libraries can help close the Digital Divide for patrons with disabilities. It was held in July 2020 and posted on YouTube by the Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN):

Works Cited:

Bourdon. (2002). The Association’s Associations: ASCLA Helps Bridge the Digital Divide. American Libraries, 33(6),11.

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=6762225&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Disability Impacts All of Us. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html

Cullen, R. (2001). Addressing the Digital Divide. (ED459714). ERIC.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED459714.pdf

Mates, B. T. (2012). Information Power to All Patrons. Library Technology Reports, 48(7), 9.

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=83242900&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Young, N.E and Crankshaw, K. (2021). U.S. Childhood Disability Rates Up in 2019 from 2008. United States Census Bureau.

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/united-states-childhood-disability-rate-up-in-2019-from-2008.html

Assistive Technology and Libraries

Assistive Tech Creates Inclusive Spaces for the Disabled - Marta Bachynsky

Assistive Technology can be described as any kind of equipment or software that can be used to improve the functional capabilities of disabled persons (Gavigan, et al., 2009). It has been used for many years to help persons with disabilities; examples would include Braille, subtitles in movies, and “sip-and-puff” technology for wheelchairs. Each of these have done a lot to improve the lives of the disabled in the world at large, and some, such as Braille can be found in the library in the form of Braille books. 

There are several ways in which people with disabilities can benefit from assistive technology in a library. Those with visual impairment can have computer screens adjusted to their needs, such as someone who needs the text on screen magnified — as I get older, I’m finding that I need larger text to read what is on screen. Blind patrons can be helped with text-to-speech software. People with hearing impairment and deafness benefit from captioning on library website videos that have an auditory component. Those with mobility issues can be helped with modified keyboards and other peripherals as well as better access to computers by having their own stations because tight rows of computers can be difficult to navigate to. People who have cognitive impairment will benefit from modified software, including something as simple as slowing down a video so the words spoken can be understood (even I do that sometimes because some presenters speak too quickly). People with Autism Spectrum Disorders generally are best served by modifying the environment of a library because bright lighting or too much noise can be overwhelming. Sometimes they need to use different input devices (like a touch screen) when using a computer (Mates, 2012). 

Here is a short and cute video titled “Understanding Assistive Technology Loan Libraries: Simply Said” that gives you a gist of what assistive technologies can do for libraries:

The article, “The Inclusive Libraries Initiative” by Susan D. Moisey describes assistive workstations that can benefit patrons who have a disability. Just a few of the features are: an adjustable hydraulic table (wheelchair users), software such as WordQ (text-to-speech), and various input devices (keyboard with extra large colored keys,  trackball, joystick). One of the things preventing libraries installing such a feature is the cost of each station (several thousand dollars), with the additional cost of time and money in training workers in the use of the stations (Moisey, 2007). In all, funding is a major problem with installing assistive technology in libraries, be it a public library or a school library. In addition to funding difficulties, new technologies in this field are continually being created and it is becoming difficult for librarians to keep up. Future libraries will be have to have a person on staff specialized in this field to free up other librarians who can concentrate on other things, such as how to help a seventh grader find a book for her science project. 

Works Cited:

Gavigan, K. and Kurtts, S. (2009). At, ud, and thee: Using assistive technology and universal design for learning in 21st century media centers. Library Media Connection, 27(4), 54. url

Mates, B. T. (2012). Information power to all patrons. Library Technology Reports, 48(7), 9-11. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=83242900&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Modified workstation (photo). (no date). Retrieved from https://www.worthingtonlibraries.org/visit/services/assistive-technology-and-tools

Moisey, S.D. (2007). The inclusive libraries initiative: Enhancing the access of persons with developmental disabilities to information and communication technology. The Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 35(1&2), 63.

Mobile Technology and Libraries

Mobile Tech Benefits the Disabled in Libraries - Marta Bachynsky

These days, you see mobile technology everywhere, whether it’s the ubiquitous smartphone everyone is peering at constantly, or a scanner used by a grocery store employee stocking shelves. One popular form of mobile technology is the e-book which has been around for a while. In “E-books and E-readers for Users with Print Disabilities” written a decade ago, the Pew Internet Project reported that “One-fifth of American adults (21%) report that have read an e-book in the past year…” (Janus, 2012). They used to be only able to be accessed on e-readers, but can now be read on a smartphone or tablet and the quality has greatly improved from the simple text files of the past, such as that produced by Project Gutenberg.

Mobile technology is one of many types of assistive technologies that can help the disabled bridge the Digital Divide. It has opened up a world of books for those who otherwise might have trouble accessing standard books. With this form of mobile technology, a user can carry around several books at once, which while convenient for the “able-bodied”, is a godsend for someone with mobility issues. Not only are e-books easier to use for the disabled because the format is less bulky than book scanners or Braille books, but the screen can be magnified or otherwise modified for easier reading or the user can opt for the text to be read out loud by the device.

Not only is mobile tech helping disabled patrons gain access to books, but it is also improving the lives of library workers. I found an article in American Libraries Magazine, which reviews various mobile tech apps for use by library workers. One such item is “MobileCirc”, which is an app put forth by “SirsiDynix” that basically lets library workers carry around the circulation desk. A librarian can find a book for a new patron, register them and check out the book right in the stacks. How cool is that? Not only that, this app can help a person with some mobility issues work in a library because the worker can scan books in and out (including weeding) without running back and forth between the stacks and the circulation desk. In that same article, I read about an online system, the “AccessTech Network”, which is available online nationally, and makes college textbooks available to students with print-related disabilities such as blindness or dyslexia. The only problem is that while a there are a lot of textbook available, not all of them are. However, if a student needs a textbook that isn’t available, the college can send a request for it directly to the publisher through this system (Morehart, 2013).

If anyone is interested, here is a short video that provides information on how mobile tech can help disabled people with accessibility:

Works Cited:

Junus, S.G.R. (2012). e-books and e-readers for users with print disabilities. Library Technology Reports, 48(7). 22-28. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=83242902&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Morehart, P. (2013). Solutions and services. American Libraries Magazine. 44(11/12), 52. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hch&AN=91785229&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Google Books 

Google Books, Libraries, and the Disabled - Marta Bachynsky

Google Books has been around since 2005 and like all new things, there were some naysayers worried about it replacing libraries because some people think that if you can just “Google” a book, why do we need those musty old buildings anyway? Those people must not have heard of the Google Books Library Project, in which Google partnered with several major libraries in an attempt to digitize millions of books. This project has led to some controversy due to lawsuits involving both authors and publishers. There was also the problem of metadata errors such as the attributing the wrong author or publication date, and scan errors which resulted in poor quality text due to such things as missing, folded or skewed pages. You can’t keep a good idea down, however. Currently, Google Books has scanned 25 million books from such libraries as Harvard University Library, New York Public Library, and the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library (“Google Books”, 2021).

Libraries, whether they are public or academic have long been the place to go when conducting research or looking for a book to curl up with. Sometimes, a researcher needs to find an obscure work from over a century ago, or a library patron is interested in finding an out-of-print book that she heard about in her book club. Some books might be available via interlibrary loan, but if a book is not in print, it is unlikely a lending library will be willing to share it for fear of loss or damage. This is where Google Books comes in. The scanning of books that have fallen out of copyright has led to a rediscovery of 19th century literature, whether it is historical and scholarly work or a long-forgotten novel. Google Books is a place of scholarly afterlife, where forgotten authors and discarded projects can enjoy a reincarnation (Findlen, 2013). 

It is because of projects such as the Google Books Library Project that many blind and visually impaired people have access to books that would be otherwise unavailable to them due to scarcity, such as obscure novels that were published in the 19th century. Sighted persons might be able to borrow a book for research purposes via interlibrary loan, but a visually impaired or blind library patron who borrows the book would not be permitted to put the book in a book reader due to its fragility. As per my earlier statement, this is where Google Books comes in. Each year, the Google Books Library Project scan copies of books that have entered the public domain; books such as Edgar Rice Burroughs’s “Tarzan and the Golden Lion” as well as works such as “The Prophet”, written by an obscure Lebanese-American poet named Kahlil Gibran (Alter, 2018). Before Google Books, a visually impaired person might have been able to find an e-copy of a Tarzan book. However, how easy would it have been to find an e-copy of obscure book written over 100 years ago? The answer is —extremely difficult, if not impossible. 

In short, Google Books has not only done much to benefit both libraries and their sighted patrons, but has opened up research and pleasure reading opportunities for the visually impaired. Now, I just have to download that e-book of “The House of the Wolfings” by William Morris to discover just how much it influenced J.R.R. Tolkien. Perhaps I might even have my e-book read it to me.

In case you’re wondering what all the fuss was about regarding the Google Books lawsuit, here is a video that discusses the settlement:

Works Cited:

Alter, A. (2018). New life for old classics, as their copyright runs out. New York Times.

https://www.proquest.com/blogs- podcasts-websites/new-life-old-classics-as-their-copyrights-run- out/docview/2161311821/se-2?accountid=35685 

Findlen, P. (2013). How Google Rediscovered the 19th Century. Chronicle of Higher Education, 59(44), B2. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=89479235&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Google Books. (2021, March 31). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Books