Get Started with Accessibility

The Getting Started learning path is a great place to begin your accessibility journey and review foundational accessibility topics. This learning path will take you on a tour of the Accessible Libraries website and introduce you to key accessibility concepts. All accessibility topics discussed are first presented at an introductory level. In addition to acting as an entry point for learning about accessibility, this learning path discusses the important topic of etiquette and contains accessibility training resources and tips to start making your library more accessible right away.

Let’s begin this journey together to make our library a better place for everyone!

Overview

The total time to complete this learning path is approximately 5 hours.

By the end of this learning path, you will have a basic understanding of accessibility and providing accessible services in your library.

Learning Path

Blue equilateral triangle with a white number one in the centre.

Step 1: Getting Started

Let’s get started on a journey towards accessibility! In this section, we’ve provided introductory materials that provide board overviews of accessibility in your library.

This time will take about 2 hours to complete.

Maroon equilateral triangle with a white number two in the centre.

Step 2: Library Staff Interacting with Patrons

Now that you’ve learned about Accessibility 101 let’s let’s learn about why it’s so important for respectful interactions.

The total time for this section is approximately 40 minutes.

Teal equilateral triangle with a white number three in the centre.

Step 3: Going Further

Let’s take what you’ve learned and go further! Now that you have foundational knowledge, start reading about more advanced topics.

It will take approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete this section.

Red equilateral triangle with a white number four in the centre.

Step 4: Explore Supporting Resources

There are a lot of resources out there to help you learn about accessibility. Let’s start exploring what’s out there.

The total time for this section is up to you!

Getting Started

Accessibility is a complex topic with many different areas to explore. We have an Accessibility 101 series to provide a foundation of accessibility information.

The total time for this section will take approximately 2 hours.

Accessibility 101 for Canadian Public Library Staff Webinar Recording: This video covers foundational topics on accessibility at an introductory level. This is a great place to start to learn about accessible library services and some of the changes your library can begin to implement right away (40 minutes).
Checklist: Accessibility 101: We suggest you use this checklist as a guide for library staff when they are starting their accessibility journey as it summarizes information from the other Accessibility 101 resources and is intended as a training aid for library staff beginning their accessibility journey. (30 minutes).
Quick Reference: Accessibility 101 For Public Libraries: This resource briefly summarizes some of the information covered in the Accessibility 101 Webinar, making it a great introductory resource or refresher. It also includes links to related resources (10 minutes).
Accessibility 101 Presentation Slides: These provide an outline of foundational accessibility topics such as an introduction to disabilities, physical and digital accessibility features, accessible formats, and more (40 minutes).

Library Staff Interacting with Patrons

Now that you’ve learned all about Accessibility 101, let’s learn about how your interactions with library patrons impact their library experiences – good and bad.

This section will take approximately 40 minutes.

Accessibility Etiquette in the Library Panel Discussion: This is a discussion with experts and panellists with lived experiences about their positive and negative library experiences and how those experiences could have been improved (40 minutes).

Going Further

Let’s take what you’ve learned and go further! Now that you have a foundational knowledge, start reading about more advanced topics.

The approximate time to complete this section is 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Learning Path: Creating Accessible Documents: This checklist is an excellent resource to consult when creating accessible digital documents, especially for your library workplace documents (35 minutes).
Checklist for Creating Accessible Social Media: Use this checklist to increase the number of people your information will reach. If your social media is accessible, it reflects positively on your library because you create an inclusive environment for all patrons (20 minutes).
Accessible Emails Checklist: The checklist contains best practices to ensure that people with multiple print disabilities can easily consume the content of an email (20 minutes).
Adding Alt Text and Long Descriptions Checklist: This is a great resource with examples that provide information on how to create alternative text and long descriptions for images, including complex content such as infographics, charts, and maps (20 minutes).
Assistive Technology Demonstrations: Assistive technology refers to products, equipment, and systems that enhance reading, learning, working, and daily living for people with disabilities. In this resource, we provide assistive technology demonstrations (35 minutes).

Explore Supporting Resources