[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-146057-en":3,"doc-seo-146057-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},146057,962085320529,"Sarah ","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc",7,"Healthcare","Libraries Transforming Communities - Serving Patrons with Disabilities in Small and Rural Libraries - Practitioner’s Guide","Practical guidance for small and rural libraries to remove barriers and strengthen accessibility and inclusion for patrons with disabilities. The guide explains disability awareness, relevant definitions and laws, and how to communicate effectively about services and accessibility features. It provides best practices for accessible services, programs (in-person, virtual, passive, sensory-friendly), and facilities, including building access and creating healthy inclusive environments. Additional resource lists support continued improvement.","SERVING PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES  \nIN SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES  \nP RACT IT IO N E R ’ S G U I D E  \nContents  \nI . Introduction  ...........................................2  \nII . About This Guide  .....................................3  \nIII. Getting Started: What You Need to Know  ...... 4  \nRural Communities and Disability  ................................ 4  \nDefinition s and Laws  ........................................... 5  \nDisability Awareness and Inclusive Behaviors  ..................... 9  \nIV. Services  .............................................. 20  \nCommunicating About Services  ................................ 20  \nCollection Assessment & Development  .......................... 24  \nResources for Patrons with Disabilities  .......................... 26  \nAccessible Websites and Other Electronic Documents  ............ 27  \nV. Programs  ............................................. 32  \nProgramming Spaces  ......................................... 33  \nCreating Accessible In-Person Programs  ........................ 37  \nCreating Accessible Virtual Programs  ........................... 42  \nCreating Accessible Passive Programs  .......................... 43  \nCreating Sensory Friendly/Relaxed Programs  .................... 44  \nPromotion  ................................................... 46  \nVI . Facilities  .............................................. 50  \nAssessing the Accessibility of Library Facilities  ................... 50  \nIncreasing Facility Accessibility  ................................ 51  \nThe Library Building  .......................................... 52  \nHealthy Inclusive Environments  ................................. 54  \nVII . Additional Resources  .............................. 58  \nBooks and Other Media  ....................................... 58  \nLibrary Admin Resources  ...................................... 59  \nVIII . Acknowledgements  ................................ 62  \nPAGE 1 OF 6 3  \nL IB RA R IES TRA NS FO R M ING CO M M U N IT IES : S E RV ING PATRO NS W ITH D ISA B IL IT IES IN S MA LL A N D RU RA L L IB RA R IES P RACT IT IO N E R ’ S G U ID E  \nI. Introduction  \nFor many rural communities, the local library isan invaluable resource  .  \nIt may be one of the few spaces, or the only space, within miles where someone can access  \nthe internet, get after-school help, gather information on local resources, pursue social services, or connect with other people in their community .  \nAs a critical community hub, it is imperative that we investigate any obstacles that prevent people from accessing our libraries or being included in our program and service offerings  . For people with disabilities, the library may have barriers that prevent it from being a usable resource  . These can include facility barriers (e  . g  . no automatic door openers), communication barriers, (e  . g  . no information readily available about accessibility features), or barriers related to perceptions or unintentional stereotyping  .  \nHow can you make your library more accessible? This guide is designed to help you begin the work of improving your library’s accessibility and inclusion practices for people with disabilities  . In the first section, we provide some preliminary information for getting started with this work  . The next three sections offer tips and best practices for increasing the accessibility of your library’s services, programs, and facilities  . The final section provides additional recommended resources to help you dive further into this work  .  \nPAGE 2 OF 6 3  \nL IB RA R IES TRA NS FO R M ING CO M M U N IT IES : S E RV ING PATRO NS W ITH D ISA B IL IT IES IN S MA LL A N D RU RA L L IB RA R IES P RACT IT IO N E R ’ S G U ID E  \nII. About This Guide  \nThe American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, working with knowledgeable thought leaders from ALA’s Accessibility Assembly, Access Living, ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, and Knolo","cbCaiecjhY9gGyMb","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiecjhY9gGyMb","pdf",1905124,1,66,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n# About This Guide\n# Getting Started: What You Need to Know\n## Rural Communities and Disability\n## Definitions and Laws\n## Disability Awareness and Inclusive Behaviors\n# Services\n## Communicating About Services\n## Collection Assessment & Development\n## Resources for Patrons with Disabilities\n## Accessible Websites and Other Electronic Documents\n# Programs\n## Programming Spaces\n## Creating Accessible In-Person Programs\n## Creating Accessible Virtual Programs\n## Creating Accessible Passive Programs\n## Creating Sensory Friendly/Relaxed Programs\n## Promotion\n# Facilities\n## Assessing the Accessibility of Library Facilities\n## Increasing Facility Accessibility\n## The Library Building\n## Healthy Inclusive Environments\n# Additional Resources\n## Books and Other Media\n## Library Admin Resources\n# Acknowledgements","[{\"question\":\"What barriers can prevent patrons with disabilities from using rural libraries?\",\"answer\":\"Barriers may include facility issues (such as missing automatic door openers), communication gaps (such as not having information readily available about accessibility features), and barriers tied to perceptions or unintentional stereotyping.\"},{\"question\":\"Who is this practitioner’s guide intended for?\",\"answer\":\"It is designed for grantees of the LTC: Accessible Small and Rural Communities project and supports small and rural libraries in improving accessibility. Many approaches are also applicable to larger libraries in more urban areas.\"},{\"question\":\"Which areas does the guide focus on to improve accessibility?\",\"answer\":\"The guide centers on elevating accessibility in three primary areas: services, programs, and facilities, with guidance for communicating, planning, and creating inclusive environments.\"}]","Libraries Transforming Communities - Serving Patrons with Disabilities in Small and Rural Libraries - Practitioner’s Guide | PDF",1787735663,166,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"libraries-transforming-communities-serving-patrons-with-disabilities-in-small-and-rural-libraries-practitioners-guide","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/libraries-transforming-communities-serving-patrons-with-disabilities-in-small-and-rural-libraries-practitioners-guide/146057/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-30","2026-08-26",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"What barriers can prevent patrons with disabilities from using rural libraries?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"Barriers may include facility issues (such as missing automatic door openers), communication gaps (such as not having information readily available about accessibility features), and barriers tied to perceptions or unintentional stereotyping.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"Who is this practitioner’s guide intended for?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"It is designed for grantees of the LTC: Accessible Small and Rural Communities project and supports small and rural libraries in improving accessibility. Many approaches are also applicable to larger libraries in more urban areas.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"Which areas does the guide focus on to improve accessibility?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"The guide centers on elevating accessibility in three primary areas: services, programs, and facilities, with guidance for communicating, planning, and creating inclusive environments.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":88,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":90,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":93},[94,98,102,106,111,116,119,124,129,132,136],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":99,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":101},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},40,"healthcare",{"id":120,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":135},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":137,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":138,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":139},19,"General","general"]