Assessment of Assistive

Technology in an
Academic Library
Kristi Coe
Project Purpose
Self-evaluation of the status of assistive technology for students with visual disabilities
within an academic library.

WHY:
o Known high-risk population
o Place of employment
o Lack of understanding of assessment measures
Assessment Framework
Criteria 1: Are we meeting legal requirements?
Green, R. A. (2009). Assistive Technology and Academic Libraries: Legal Issues and Problem Resolution. Journal Of Access Services, 6(1/2), 36-47.
doi:10.1080/15367960802247809

Criteria 2: Are we aware of and implementing best practices?

Sunrich, M., & Green, R. (2006). Assistive Technologies for Library Patrons with Visual Disabilities. Journal Of Access Services, 4(1/2), 29.
doi:10.1300/J204v04n01•02

Criteria 3: Are we responding appropriately to student need?

Kelly, S. M., & Wolffe, K. E. (2012). Internet Use by Transition-Aged Youths with Visual Impairments in the United States: Assessing the Impact of
Postsecondary Predictors. Journal Of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 106(10), 597-608.
Criteria 1: Legal Requirements
Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Section 504
o Federal funding
Any part of the institution (1988 amendment)

o Meets the definition of a disability

“has a physical or mental disability which substantially limits one or more of such person’s
major life activities…”.

o Otherwise qualified
Meets admission requirements
Criteria 2: Best Practices
What are the industry standards?

What are high-compliance academic libraries doing regarding assistive technology?

Do we have the industry standard software available?

How does our website stack up?

Criteria 3: Student Need
Any service HAS to be in context: Educational, cultural, personal
What do our students need?

How are we measuring this?

Who is assessing this?

Hardware Assessment
Hardware Available at library

Desk Top ProDesk 400 GI SFF with

Intel Core i5

Monitor Monoprice 28” high

resolution

Scanner (with read back) Plus Tek BookReader V100

Software Assessment
Software Description
ABBYY FineReader Optical character recognition software that recognizes
text for formatting of documents.
Kurzweil 1000 Text reading program for electronic and printed text.
Magnification and highlighting available for low-vision
users.
JAWS Screen reader with a speech and Braille output feature.
Triple I Online catalog compliant with ADA and enables assistive
technology
Windows 10 Operating System
Website, Network, and Library Systems
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
JURISDICTION
o IT monitors entire website for
legal compliance
o Wireless connectivity is widely
available (no charge)
o Library systems such as Triple I
and OneSearch fall under IT
oversight
LIBRARY JURISDICTION
o EBSCO platform meets or exceed
Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act
(EBSCO Information Services, 2016)
o Library website needs to have
information regarding disability
services (see next slide)
o Training on assistive technology
not available
Library Website Assessment
(Adapted from: Power, R., & LeBeau, C. (2009). How well do academic library web sites address the needs of database users with visual disabilities? Reference
Librarian,50(1), 55-72.); https://www.cedarville.edu/Academics/Library/Services/Disability-Assistance-Policy.aspx
Assessment Question Library Website
FINDABILITY: How many clicks from the library’s home Good. Listed under services rather than policies as
page? recommended by the literature. Two clicks to arrive at
the needed document. Reasonably findable.
INFORMATIVE: How much detail about disability services? Adequate. Could have had more depth in terms of
access and equipment, but both are mentioned in at
least some detail. (Appendices are available that have
more detail).
ACCESS: Whether they mentioned access to databases in None
any capacity?
QUESTIONS: Provided contact information within the Yes. Contact name and email are provided as
library? recommended by the literature rather than just general
library contact information.
CAMPUS COLLABORATION: Linked to the University Yes. Specific phone number and email are provided as
disability services office? recommended by the literature.
Assessment Conclusions
Criteria 1: Legal Requirements
MET: correct understanding of federal funding, disability definitions, or students “otherwise
qualified”

Criteria 2: Best Practices

PARTIALLY MET: many software option are available, website is compliant, NO training offered

Criteria 3: Student Need

NOT MET : Who, where, and how are we meeting student need? NO DATA publicly available
 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Assistive Technology Assessment Grid

Yes or No
Are we meeting
Are we aware of Best Practices? Are we Listening to our Students?
legal guidelines?

On Our Game!

Good
start...Commit
to winning!

Room for
Y Partially met N
Improvement!

Get In the Game

(Emergency
Intervention
Needed!)
 REFERENCES
Abdelrahman, O. H. (2016). Use of library technology and services by the visually-impaired and the blind in the
university of khartoum, sudan. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 36(2), 93-97.
doi:10.14429/djlit.36.3.9803
Blansett, J. (2008). Digital discrimination. Library Journal, 133(13), 26-29.
Ebsco Information Services. (2016). Accessibility. Retrieved October 15, 2016 from
https://www.ebsco.com/technology/accessibility
Green, R. A. (2009). Assistive Technology and Academic Libraries: Legal Issues and Problem Resolution. Journal Of
Access Services, 6(1/2), 36-47. doi:10.1080/15367960802247809
Gorran Farkas, M., Janicke Hinchliffe, L., & Houk, A. H. (2015). Bridges and barriers: Factors influencing a culture of
assessment in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 76(2), 150-169. doi:10.5860/crl.76.2.150
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (2002). Glasgow declaration on libraries,
information services and intellectual freedom. Retrieved on November 22, 2016 from
http://www.ifla.org/publications/the-glasgow-declaration-on-libraries-information-services-and-intellectual-
freedom
Jaeger, P. T., Bertot, J. C., Thompson, K. M., Katz, S. M., & DeCoster, E. J. (2012). The intersection of public policy
and public access: Digital divides, digital literacy, digital inclusion, and public libraries. Public Library
Quarterly, 31(1), 1-20. doi:10.1080/01616846.2012.654728
 REFERENCES
Kelly, S. M., & Wolffe, K. E. (2012). Internet Use by Transition-Aged Youths with Visual Impairments in the United
States: Assessing the Impact of Postsecondary Predictors. Journal Of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 106(10), 597-
608.
Office of Disability Services. (2015). Centennial library disability assistance policy. Retrieved September 22, 2016
from http://www.cedarville.edu/Academics/Library/Services/Disability-Assistance-Policy.aspx
Power, R., & LeBeau, C. (2009). How well do academic library web sites address the needs of database users with
visual disabilities? Reference Librarian, 50(1), 55-72. doi:10.1080/02763870802546399
Sunrich, M., & Green, R. (2006). Assistive Technologies for Library Patrons with Visual Disabilities. Journal Of
Access Services, 4(1/2), 29. doi:10.1300/J204v04n01•02
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. No 93-112, 26 September 1973 $504