The American Library Association encourages members and library staff to create materials that are accessible for both library patrons and co-workers. The accessibility resources they provide cover accessible documents (in Word and PDFs), adding alternative text in different technology platforms, and testing the accessibility of the resources.
If you are interested in learning more about screen magnification technologies, this resource is a terrific starting point. The AbilityNet factsheet describes what screen magnification software is and does.
The Adaptive Umbrella blog shares information and resources about accessible library programming and services. The blog provides different programming guidelines and ideas for sensory storytimes.
The American Foundation of the Blind (AFB) provides a list of assistive technologies (also known as access technologies) that persons with print disabilities use to consume content. The products page includes a summary of the different technologies as well as the different types and options for each one.
Watch as a panel of experts discuss the importance of including alt text to create accessible social media and marketing materials.
The last webinar in the Summer Short series is about font attributes and how to format your text accessibly in your documents.
The third webinar in the Accessible Libraries Summer Short series discusses creating accessible lists in your documents.
The second webinar in the Summer Short series is about creating accessible hyperlinks in your documents.
This webinar about creating accessible headings is the first session of the Accessible Libraries Summer Short series focused on short tutorials that teach you how to make accessible documents.
The Accessible Social Media webinar recording is now available! In this presentation, we discuss how you can make your social media posts accessible and inclusive, allowing everyone to access your information. The webinar covers alt text, emojis, hashtags, and more.
This recording of the Creating Accessible Documents webinar guides you through how to make an accessible Word document, including accessible tables, images, and document structure. The webinar includes demonstrations and examples of how you can start creating accessible documents.
The Accessible Social Media Webinar slides are available and feature the live demos that were part of the presentation. Topics covered include adding alternative text to images, emojis and hashtags.
The slides for the Creating Accessible Documents webinar are now available. Learn more about how to accessibly format your Word documents by using Styles.
YA (Young Adult) Disability Database is a curated booklist of YA novels that feature disability representation. This database compiles book recommendations together that libraries can use to build their collection or as a resource for patrons.
Accessible Social is a free resource to help guide creating and learning about creating accessible social media. Libraries can use this resource to help make their marketing and communications more accessible for all patrons.
The Toronto Public Library (TPL) presents a Social Story to help children become familiar with their library. Social Stories are learning tools for children that describe different experiences and situations they will encounter when visiting their public library. TPL suggests that parents or teachers read this story with their children one or more times before visiting the library to make them feel comfortable about their visit.
The Hootsuite Blog presents guidelines to make your social media posts accessible. Making sure that your social media is accessible will create an inclusive environment and reach a larger audience.
Microsoft provides guidelines for creating accessible Word documents, including instructions and general best practices. This resource provides support for creating accessible Word documents in Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web version of Microsoft Word.
Are you interested in learning more about the AccessibleLibraries.ca website? This video tour guides you through the site and points out useful features for public library staff.
AccessiblePublishing.ca, a website developed by the National Network of Equitable Library Service (NNELS), presents information and resources to help publishers, libraries, and other organizations create and provide access to accessible eBooks.