Libraries serve as a primary destination for many families with children and remain an essential hub for accessing valuable resources, information and social connection across the lifetime. With approximately 26% of Americans living with a disability, and over 300,000 individuals with disabilities residing in the Greater Rochester area alone, there exists a significant opportunity to ensure that the valuable services offered by our libraries are accessible to people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. In this session, we will take a close look at what the concept of “inclusion” looks and feels like and explore strategies to use a lens of inclusion to transform our libraries into inclusive places of destination and employment for people with disabilities.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand inclusion as a process rather than a checked off box.
• Participants will learn how to reframe language so that it is used to promote an inclusive and empowering environment.
• Participants will understand a model of Functional Ability to help reframe disability in a way that can result in the removal of barriers to participation by patrons/employees with disabilities.
• Participants will learn at least three tangible strategies they can implement at their library that can result in enhanced participation by patrons with disabilities.

Presenter: Anita O’Brien, Executive Director, Rochester Accessible Adventures

Live transcription will be available. We are committed to offering inclusive, diverse, and equitable services to all of our members. To request specific accommodations, please contact rrlc@rrlc.org at least five business days ahead of the program you’d like accommodations for.

This webinar will be recorded, but you must register to receive the recording. A closed captioned recording will be available 1 month after the live event.