Creator: Centre for Equitable Library Access
Date Updated: November 22, 2024
Overview
The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) provides an overview of information for library staff to support kids and teens with disabilities. This document begins with links about general disability etiquette, language, and customer service. It also includes content related to accessible communications and resources specific to library services, such as running book clubs. Finally, it addresses making reading accessible for children with different disabilities.
The information on this page is summarized from the CELA Resources Supporting Kids and Teens with Disabilities.
Quick Facts
The resources CELA provides to support kids and teens with disabilities include:
- Introductory content on respectful language and etiquette. For example, the important distinction of language and how you talk to persons with disabilities in an article that discusses identity-first language (e.g., dyslexic person) vs. person-first language (e.g., a person with a disability).
- Accessibility 101 resources that cover topics like universal design and Guide dogs and service animals.
- How you communicate can set a welcoming tone and an inclusive culture. This page provides resources on W3C image text description, Access Ability: A practical guide on accessible graphic design (PDF), and more to help make your communications accessible.
- Resources on how to start incorporating accessibility into your library, such as Ten accessibility tips for youth and families in the library.
- Resources to help library staff familiarize themselves with accessible materials to people with disabilities, such as All about reading disabilities: dyslexia-related book titles and decodable book publishers and Blind accessible comics.
Visit CELA’s Resources Supporting Kids and Teens with Disabilities.
References
Centre for Equitable Library Access. (n.d.). Resources supporting kids and teens with disabilities: Cela. https://celalibrary.ca/resourceskidsandteens
Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. (n.d.). About universal design. https://universaldesign.ie/about-universal-design
Dyslexia Canada. (n.d.). Supporting Reading at Home. Dyslexia Canada. https://celalibrary.ca/sites/default/files/2020-11/Dyslexia%20titles%20list.pdf
Grassi, R. (2019, March 22). Ten accessibility tips for youth and families in the library. ALSC Blog. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2019/03/ten-accessibility-tips-for-youth-and-families-in-the-library/
Haelle, T. (2024, July 10). Identity-first vs. person-first language is an important distinction. Association of Health Care Journalists. https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2019/07/identity-first-vs-person-first-language-is-an-important-distinction/
Provincial Government of Ontario. (n.d.). Accessibility in Ontario: What you need to know. ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-ontario-what-you-need-to-know#section-7
RGD. (2019, May). Accessability 2: A practical handbook on accessible graphic design. https://rgd.ca/working-in-design/resources/accessability-2-a-practical-handbook-on-accessible-graphic-design
Spin Weave and Cut. (n.d.). Blind accessible comics. https://spinweaveandcut.com/blind-accessible-comics/
(WAI), W. W. A. I. (2023, August 9). Easy checks – a first review of web accessibility. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/preliminary/#images