2024 Special Section: Accessibility
"The questions in this special section were developed through a partnership with the ALA Public Programs Office’s Libraries Transform Communities initiative and in consultation with the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. These questions focus primarily on physical, rather than digital, accessibility facilities and practices.
For the purposes of this survey, accessibility is defined as: ensuring that opportunity is afforded to persons with disabilities to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as someone without a disability. Accessibility encompasses the broader meanings of compliance and refers to how organizations make space to give access to everyone’s ability and experience (adopted from both the Office for Civil Rights and the American Alliance of Museums).
Individuals with disabilities may include those with mobility, neurodivergence, vision, hearing, intellectual / developmental disabilities, or other accessibility needs.
If your library has multiple outlets/branches, please respond to the first two questions as they apply to your main/central library location only."
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1
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Which of the following physical accommodations are in place outside your main/central library to help individuals with disabilities access the facility? [Multiple choice: Yes / No / N/A]
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Accessible book / media drop box |
| Accessible main, public entrance (i.e., mobility device users do not have to use a separate entrance from other library users) | ||
| Accessible parking spaces with adjacent access aisle | ||
| Accessible path or sidewalk to entrance | ||
| Automatic doors (button- or motion-activated) | ||
| Other outside physical accommodations (please specify) [open-ended] | ||
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2
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Which of the following physical accommodations are in place inside your main/central library to help individuals with disabilities access the facility? [Multiple choice: Yes / No]
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Accessible bathrooms |
| Accessible furniture (e.g., tables or desks for wheelchair users, seating with/without arms) | ||
| Assistive listening devices or hearing loops | ||
| Braille signage or other assistance for low vision individuals | ||
| Elevator or chair lift (if your library does not have multiple floors used by the public, select N/A) | ||
| Emergency alarms with both auditory and visual indicators (i.e., lights and sound) | ||
| Quiet space for people with sensory needs | ||
| Public computers with accessible technologies and software (e.g., screen readers, adaptive keyboards) | ||
| Walkers, wheelchairs, or scooters for individuals with limited mobility | ||
| Wheelchair-accessible hallways (minimum width 36” for ADA compliance) | ||
| Wheelchair-accessible stacks (minimum width 36” for ADA compliance) | ||
| Other inside physical accommodations (please specify) [open-ended] | ||
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3
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What resources do you provide for patrons with disabilities who attend your programs or classes, either as a standard practice or upon request? [Multiple choice: Yes / No]
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A program agenda or logistical details provided in advance |
| ASL interpretation or transcription | ||
| Extra space for moving around | ||
| Extra time to complete activities or assignments | ||
| Information presented in multiple formats | ||
| Multiple types of seating | ||
| Noise canceling headphones | ||
| Sensory-friendly resources (e.g., fidget toys, stress balls, chewing gum) | ||
| Other resources (please specify) [open-ended] | ||
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4
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Do any of the following limit your ability to improve the accessibility of facilities at your library? [Check all that apply]
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Building(s) constructed before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 |
| Cost / budget | ||
| Lack of awareness among library staff about accessibility needs and best practices | ||
| Lack of awareness among stakeholders or community members | ||
| Library does not control or own the space it occupies | ||
| Limitations of current space (e.g., carpeting, stairs) | ||
| Organizational or leadership buy-in | ||
| Other (please specify) [open-ended] | ||
| 5 | What other accessibility-related improvements, policies, or protocols are you considering at your library? In addition, if your library has multiple outlets or branches, please use this space to explain how accessibility features differ across those locations. [open-ended] | |
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