The number of students with disabilities attending institutions of higher education is steadily increasing. Much of this increase can be attributed to new institutional goals of inclusivity, the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and an increasing societal interest in helping individuals with disabilities to attain their optimal levels of economic and personal self-sufficiency.
The University of Wisconsin-Stout is a unique, special-mission institution whose undergraduate/graduate programs include Vocational Rehabilitation, Work Evaluation, and Rehabilitation Counseling. In addition to these academic programs, the University has a Center for Rehabilitation Technology (CRT), housed within the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI), which offers assessments of individuals' ability to benefit from the use of adaptive technology.
Staff from the SVRI and the CRT, anti the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities have worked with the UW-Stout Library in providing a wide range of adaptive technology for students with disabilities. To facilitate the integration of adaptive technologies with all facets of library service, the UW-Stout Library designated a librarian position, Assistant to the Director for Special Services, to work cooperatively with campus student support staff, including the staff of Services for Students with Disabilities, and to coordinate with personnel from the SVRI and the CRT. The designation of one librarian to coordinate the provision of services in the Library and to act as a library liaison to the university community was essential for ADA compliance and effective service provisions.
This past year, about 350 students with disabilities attended UW-Stout. Several types of disabilities are represented by this student population, including learning, physical, mobility, visual, and hearing disabilities. A wide range of adaptive technology, bibliographic instructional techniques, and physical accommodations have been and are being implemented at the UW-Stout Library to accommodate these students.
The Library Learning Center facility was built in 1982 with a number of features designed to facilitate access for those with physical disabilities. The main entrance has two automatic opening doors, help phones were installed at a level within easy reach from a wheelchair, and the stacks were placed a minimum of 36 inches apart.
In addition, with the clarification of regulations from the Americans with Disabilities Act, and in reaction to requests from users with disabilities, the Library has made a number of modifications. The circulation desk checkout area, originally 40 inches in height, has been modified to provide areas for checking out materials at a height of 28 inches, which are accessible to someone using a wheelchair. Doorknobs on areas used by the public were replaced with levers that can easily be opened with the "closed fist" method prescribed by the ADA. Display shelving in the periodicals area was modified by discontinuing use of the top shelf, thus decreasing the height of the highest level of the display to 50 inches, which is 4 inches lower than the mandated ADA maximum height.
Adjustable tables have been provided for those using wheelchairs in a variety of locations throughout the facility. A terminal and printer connected to the online catalog, PubCAT, are housed on a motorized adjustable table in the reference area. (See cover photo.) Tables that adjust manually and electronically are found in the Library's bibliographic instruction classroom and in an area with adaptive technology equipment designed to allow those with disabilities to access electronic resources.
The cornerstone of the Library's adaptive technology is an Arkenstone Reader, which consists of a scanner, optical character recognition (OCR) equipment, and software. The Reader works in conjunction with a speech synthesizer and screen reading software. Students who are unable to use print resources because of visual, learning, or mobility disabilities, use the scanner and OCR system to convert printed materials to electronic formats. These electronic materials are then converted by the screen reading software and "read" aloud by the speech synthesizer. This reading system is the key to providing access to the printed materials in the Library. In addition, it is used by students to "read" classroom handouts and to create electronic summaries of textbooks to use when studying for exams.
The terminal that houses the Arkenstone Reader also provides audio access to a number of electronic resources. For example, PubCAT can be accessed here, providing students with audio information on all books, media, and periodical titles in the Library. In addition, this station has an Internet connection, and acts as an audio gateway to the multitude of resources available on this international network, including electronic journals, electronic mail facilities, gopher servers, and a number of full-text resources. The Internet connection also provides audio access to OCLC's FirstSearch system, which permits subject access to the OCLC database of over 27 million records, and to a number of periodical index databases.
Other adaptive technology in the Library includes a number of magnification devices, ranging from simple hand magnifiers to an electronic system that magnifies text on a computer screen up to 16 times, and a portable magnification system available for checkout. A closed caption decoder is provided n the Library for viewing closed captioned videotapes and a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) is in use at the circulation desk to provide text-based telephone service for TDD users with hearing impairments.
In conjunction with the provision of adaptive technology equipment, a commitment to service by the entire Library staff is essential. If a student is having trouble reaching a book from the stacks or deciphering a call number, s/he can be assisted by circulation staff, who are available during all hours that the Library is open. Individualized consultation services are offered for instruction in the use of adaptive technology equipment or for assistance with any of the Library's electronic resources. The Assistant to the Director for Special Services works closely with staff of the University's Academic Skills Center, who offer tutoring and writing assistance for students with disabilities. If an assignment involves library research, the Skills Center staff and librarians work cooperatively to ensure the student has access to the necessary resources.
Future plans include the provision of additional electronically adjustable tables; permanent signage that includes Braille and is in compliance with the ADA regarding placement, contrast, and size of characters; a second closed caption decoder for checkout by instructors using videotapes in the classroom; and Braille output of materials via a Braille embosser printing device. The Library is also planning to conduct a thorough evaluation of present services. This evaluation will include the use of focus group interviews to gain additional knowledge on the needs of students and staff with disabilities and to further enhance service accessibility.
Photo Credits: all photos were taken by University of Wisconsin-Stout
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): An adaptive technology workstation, on an adjustable table, scans printed materials, converts the print to electronic format, and then "reads" the text aloud for students with visual and learning disabilities.
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Left: Terri Muraski, the librarian responsible for services for students with disabilities and ADA compliance, provides assistance to a student with a learning disability.
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Right: Help phones are within easy reach for students using electronic carts or wheelchairs.
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Two portions of the circulation desk have been lowered to allow for enhanced access to circulation services.
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Other campus personnel, including the staff of the campus Academic Skills Center, work cooperatively with the Library's liaison for services for students with disabilities.
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Telephone service for the hearing impaired is provided by circulation staff through the use of a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD).
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Joe Jax displays the door levers which replaced more traditional knobs in the public access areas.
by John J. Jax and Theresa Muraski
John J. Jax is Library Director and Theresa Muraski is Assistant to the Director for Special Services, University of Wisconsin-Stout Library, Menomonie, WI.
