72nd chat, Tuesday December 6 2016: library workers with disabilities
6pm Pacific / 7pm Mountain / 8pm Central / 9pm Eastern
Moderated by @schomj
Storify (pdf, html) by @jbolmarcich
Confidentiality note:
Not all people with disabilities feel safe disclosing their status or talking about their experiences publicly. We respect that. Therefore, we are providing a way for people to participate confidentially.
- Go to this form and type your comments: https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbwyWyihbid8kFgyc1Pu5_BTBFGZt9Ij75bA9WPjPaMu1jCgtNmQ/exec
- You can see those tweets posted here: https://twitter.com/CritLib_anon
Many thanks to @metageeky for building this!
Suggested resources:
Videos
- Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace (2 minute Youtube video with transcript)
- Inclusive Work Environments & Tapping The Job Skills Of Individuals With Disabilities (8 minute Youtube video, no transcript)
- Is Your Library Accessible? (8 minute Youtube video, captioned and transcribed)
Practical readings
- How to request accommodations for invisible disabilities (US)
- Types of Disabilities from the National Educational Association of Disabled Students
- General List of Disabilities from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Academic writing
- Kumbier, Alana and Julia Starkey. “Access is Not Problem Solving: Disability Justice and Libraries.” Library Trends, vol. 64, no. 3 (2016), 468-491. [PDF] https://muse.jhu.edu/article/613919/pdf
- Wendell, Susan. The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Resource guide
- ALA Carnegie-Whitney Grant Project: Disability Resource Guide Table of Contents http://guides.library.illinois.edu/alacwgdisabilitytoc
Discussion questions:
- Q1. Introduce yourself, what type of library you work in, and self-describe your disability/disabilities if you are comfortable doing so.
- Q2. When you think of “people with disabilities,” what stereotypes come to mind?
- Q3. How do you think these stereotypes impact library accessibility for patrons and (potential) employees?
- Q4. If you have disabilities, has that influenced what kind of library work you’ve pursued? (If you don’t have disabilities, have you ever thought about this possibility?)
- Q5. What can we as individuals do to improve library accessibility for patrons?
- Q6. What can we as individuals do to support coworkers with disabilities?
Closing question: If you could have virtual meet-ups for other library employees who have your disability/disabilities, would you like that?