ALA’s RUSQ Examines Academic Library Experiences of Users Who are Blind

The latest issue of the American Library Association's Reference and User Services Quarterly includes “There is Nothing Inherently Mysterious about Assistive Technology”: A Qualitative Study about Blind User Experiences in US Academic Libraries,” by Hunter College, New York librarian Adina Mulliken. The study shows that while library and vendor websites are supposed to be equally effective for all users, blind patrons still face accessibility issues when using them. Librarians are not sufficiently educated on how to help patrons with visual disabilities, notes the study, and even when they have had training, the availability of accessible resources is an issue.

See the article here; note that the lengthy references section also provides worthwhile resources on accessibility in libraries and on the rights of disabled people in wider society.