The motto of the disability-rights community is “nothing about us without us,” yet few libraries think to give people with these disabilities a role in program planning or include them fully in the library community. This session will explain how listening to disability self-advocates and creating a culture of inclusion are critical elements in programming that is successful, fun, and works for everyone.

Presenters:
Barbara Klipper has championed library access for people with disabilities since 2002 when she worked at The Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT. Her 2014 book, Programming for Children and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ALA), was recently updated by Dr. Amelia Anderson. With Carrie Banks, Klipper co-authored “Staying Calm: Disabilities and ‘Behavior’ in the Library” in Differing Abilities and the Library: Fostering Equity for Patrons and Staff with Disabilities, edited by C.A. Copeland, PhD. and the 2021 book Library Programming for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, Barbara is also the creator and funder of the Autism Welcome Here grant.

Carrie Banks has been in charge of Brooklyn Public Library’s (BPL) Inclusive Services since 1997 and taught “Including Youth with Disabilities: at Pratt Institute from 2013 to 2015. Active in ASGCLA and ALSC since 2000, she was president of ASGCLA in 2020. From 2017 to 2019, she was part of ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo’s EDI Presidential Team. In 2014, she substantially revised Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How to Do It Manual for Librarians. Libraries and Garden: Growing Together, written with Cynthia Mediavilla, was published in the Spring of 2019. Library Programming for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, written with Barbara Klipper, will be published in Spring 2021.

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