Background

The Accessibility Standing Group (ASG) was established in response to feedback from strategic planning processes and a 2019 Alliance/NWACC joint accessibility survey that identified a clear need for resources and training on accessibility topics. The ASG is composed of staff from Alliance member libraries with interest and varying levels of experience with accessibility.

The ASG advocates for digital and physical accessibility in libraries to support users who have a diverse range of sight, cognitive, hearing, and movement abilities. Areas of focus include development and application of platforms, tools, and other resources, along with services and spaces.

Charge

Proceeding from the statements above, the ASG:

• Develops and recommends best practices for accessibility testing, training, and support.
• Collaborates and coordinates with individuals and groups engaged in supporting accessibility.
• Coordinates with Alliance groups and staff, along with vendors, regarding development of discovery platforms and related tools, as well as other resources and services.
• Provides training and documentation for Alliance member staff focused on accessibility practices and related topics.

Goals & Deliverables

The ASG will work toward the following goals and deliverables in FY25 (October 2024 – June 2025):

• Continue efforts to enhance support for cognitive diversity and neuroinclusion.
• Collaborate with the User Experience Standing Group (UXSG) to identify topics and projects of high interest and need based on responses from the ASG-UXSG community needs assessment.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with accessibility partners, organizations, and vendors.
• Perform ongoing maintenance and improvement of the Accessibility Toolkit.

Projects & Activities

The ASG is working on the following projects:

• Accessibility Toolkit: This toolkit is for librarians and academic IT professionals new to accessibility in libraries and who are looking for guidance on where to begin. It is also for people looking for resources on specific aspects of accessibility work.
• Cognitive Diversity and Neuroinclusion: This resource is not an exhaustive or rigid list, but rather a starting point to enhance support for cognitive diversity and neurodivergent individuals. The suggestions in this toolkit may not be appropriate for everyone, nor should they take precedence over the stated needs of the person before you. Instead, let these ideas guide you on how to develop support approaches and gather feedback for improvement.
• PDF and Digital Materials Remediation Checklist: This checklist provides guidelines for creating digital materials such as ILL scans, controlled digital lending, and theses.