This paper was presented at the 7th International Evidence Based Library and Information Practice conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

1. A library environment for everyone:
Universal design and libraries
Andrea
Miller-­‐Nesbi/
&
Tanja
Beck
–
McGill
University
Evidence
Based
Library
and
Informa4on
Prac4ce
Annual
Conference
July
16th,
2013
hCp://Gaederfia.se/2012/07/31/library-­‐of-­‐secrets/

2. Outline
• Context
• Methods
• Results
• Future
work
• Ques4ons

3. Canadian context
4
6
8
10
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
%
year
Percentage
of
undergraduate
students
who
self-­‐
iden4fy
as
having
a
disability
(Canadian
University
Survey
Consor4um,
2011)

4. McGill context
• 2
campuses
• 11
faculBes
• 11
schools
• 12
branch
libraries
• 1,
636
faculty
• 37,
835
students
• 1,
311
students
registered
with
the
Office
for
Students
with
DisabiliBes

5. OSD registered students
Organic
impairment
15%
Pervasive
develop.
disorder
1%
Motor
impairment
11%
Visual
impairment
2%
Mul4ple
impairments
17%
Learning
disability
13%
ACen4on
Deficit
Disorder
13%
Hearing
impairment
1%
Mental
health
disorder
27%

6. OSD registered students
Organic
impairment
15%
Pervasive
develop.
disorder
1%
Motor
impairment
11%
Visual
impairment
2%
Mul4ple
impairments
17%
Learning
disability
13%
ACen4on
Deficit
Disorder
13%
Hearing
impairment
1%
Mental
health
disorder
27%

7. hCp://www.montrealgazeCe.com/health/Accessible+learning+students+with+disabili4es/7778105/story.html

8. Universal design
“The
design
of
products
and
environments
to
be
usable
by
all
people,
to
the
greatest
extent
possible,
without
the
need
for
adaptation
or
specialized
design.”
(Connell,
B.,
et
al.,
1997)
“Signpost”
symbol
by
The
Noun
Project
taken
from
the
Noun
Project
collec4on
(blog.thenounproject.com/)

9. 7 Principles of Universal Design
1.
Equitable
use
2.
Flexibility
in
use
3.
Simple
and
intui4ve
use
4.
Percep4ble
informa4on
5.
Tolerance
for
error
6.
Low
physical
effort
7.
Size
and
space
(Connell,
B.,
et
al.,
1997)

10. Methods
1.
Assessment
of
branch
libraries
2.
User
survey

11. Assessment of branches
AT’s
up
to
date
AT’s
in
accessible
area
Spirit
scanner
Print
enlarger
Birks
N/A
N/A
No
No
EducaBon
Yes
Yes,
but
no
privacy
Yes,
but
inaccessible
loca4on
No
• Entrance/stacks
clear
of
obstruc4ons
• Wheelchair
accessible
• High
contrast
direc4onal
signs
• Descrip4on
of
study
areas
• Adjustable
ligh4ng
• Adjustable
worksta4ons
• Computer
monitor
size
• Availability
of
headphones
• Availability
of
adap4ve
technologies
• Accurate
floor
plans
• Accessibility
of
teaching
room
• Spirit
scanner
and
print
enlarger
• Accurate
floor
plans
• Existence
of
a
Policy
(Burgstahler,
S.,
2012)

12. Online Guide

13. Online guide

14. Methods
1.
Assessment
of
branch
libraries
2.
User
survey
hCp://4tutes.webs.com/images/do_paid_surveys_for_cash.jpg

15. User survey - Design
• Designed
survey
with
the
assistance
of
the
manager
of
student
assessment
• 10
ques4ons,
mix
of
mul4ple
choice,
5
point
Likert
scale
and
open
comment
• Link
to
online
survey
sent
by
email
in
late
September
2012
• Sent
3
email
reminders
over
the
course
of
1
month
• No
incen4ve
offered
hCp://4tutes.webs.com/images/do_paid_surveys_for_cash.jpg

16. User survey - Population
• Survey
sent
to
all
second
year
and
above
OSD
registered
students
(N=918)
• Response
rate
was
11%
(n=101)
• Distribu4on
of
respondents
by
level
of
study
and
faculty
was
representa4ve
of
OSD
registered
students
hCp://www.clker.com/cliparts/M/X/E/o/Y/8/popula4on.svg

17. User survey - Population
79%
21%
Undergraduate
Graduate
Level
of
Study

18. User survey - Population
44%
19%
11%
6%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Arts
Science
Agricultural
&
Environmental
Sciences
Law
Con4nuing
Educa4on
Engineering
Arts
&
Science
Educa4on
Management
Medicine
Music
Faculty

19. Reasons for favorite library
Library
materials
housed
Convenient
locaBon
Study
environment
FaciliBes
Technology
Birks
reading
room
17%
100%
Educa4on
Library
17%
33%
83%
17%
17%
Geographic
Informa4on
Centre
50%
50%
25%
25%
Humani4es
and
Social
Sciences
Library
41%
72%
47%
25%
3%
Islamic
Studies
Library
33%
100%
Law
Library
25%
58%
67%
Life
Sciences
Library
25%
100%
MacDonald
Campus
Library
29%
57%
71%
Music
Library
29%
43%
100%
29%
Math
and
Sta4s4cs
Library
100%
Library
of
Science
and
Engineering
64%
91%
9%

20. Experience with Library webpage
66%
44%
35%
32%
34%
56%
65%
68%
Finding
specific
informa4on
for
students
with
disabili4es
Ease
of
naviga4on
Finding
informa4on
for
research
Finding
informa4on
about
a
library
Poor/Fair
Good/Excellent

21. Library workshops
9%
3%
38%
34%
25%
34%
63%
50%
72%
53%
Are
easy
to
understand
Include
varied
delivery
formats
(groups
discussion,
visual
presenta4on,
etc.)
Make
resources
available
before
or
arer
the
session(s)
Are
offered
in
comfortable
and
easily-­‐
accessible
loca4ons
Strongly
disagree
/
disagree
Neutral
Agree/Strongly
agree

22. Library improvements – Top 10
1. Improvement
of
privacy-­‐related
study
space
features
(66%)
2. Adjustable
chairs
(49%)
3. Areas
for
group
study
for
up
to
4
students
(46%)
4. Adjustable
ligh4ng
(44%)
5. Adjustable
or
variable
height
desks
(35%)

23. Library improvements – Top 10
6. Ease
of
use
of
the
library
website
(34%)
7. Improvement
of
floor
plans
(33%)
8. Larger
computer
monitors
(20%)
9. Availability
of
accessible
worksta4ons
with
adap4ve
sorware
(18%)
10. Areas
for
group
study
for
groups
of
10
or
more
(11%)

24. Select comments
“As
a
blind
student,
I
find
the
library
website
difficult
to
navigate.
It’s
confusing
when
trying
to
search
for
specific
4tles/informa4on
online”
“…the
libraries
feel
very
impersonal
and
it
is
difficult
for
OSD
students
to
get
the
most
out
of
their
studying”
“Any
accessibility
features…could
also
be
men4oned
during
workshops
/
info
sessions
for
all
students
to
hear”
“…a
couple
of
worksta4ons
in
each
area
could
be
designated
and
ler
in
large
print
mode”
“Walking
to
the
libraries
is
not
very
accessible…too
many
stairs
or
have
to
go
around
the
library
to
access”

25. Recommendations
1. Branch
recommenda4ons
2. Website
recommenda4ons
3. Recommenda4ons
for
staff
4. System-­‐wide
recommenda4ons

26. Branch recommendations
• Humani4es
and
Social
Sciences
Library
• Provide
elevator
access
to
Cybertheque
• Soundproof
group
study
rooms
• Schulich
Library
of
Science
and
Engineering
• Have
adapted
worksta4ons
on
all
floors
• Include
loca4on
of
adapted
worksta4ons
in
floor
plan
• Macdonald
campus
Library
• Install
automa4c
door
to
accessible
washroom
• Have
21
inch
computer
monitors

27. Website recommendations and
recommendations for staff
• Website
• Improve
informa4on
for
students
with
disabili4es
on
website
• Update
all
floor
plans
highligh4ng
adapted
worksta4ons,
different
study
areas,
etc.
• Conduct
website
usability
tes4ng
with
OSD
registered
students
• Staff
• Create
basic
and
advanced
close-­‐cap4oned
online
tutorials
• Become
familiar
with
adap4ve
sorwares
• Provide
consulta4ons
via
Skype

28. System-wide recommendations
• Create
set
of
standard
prac4ces
regarding
service
to
people
with
disabili4es
• Provide
regular
training
for
staff
• Create
list
of
resources
for
students
with
disabili4es
• Inves4gate
accessibility
features
of
licensed
products

29. Future work
• Create
short
videos
highligh4ng
the
accessibility
features
of
each
branch
• Conduct
regular
accessibility
assessments
• Conduct
focus
groups
to
determine
further
gaps
• Solicit
staff
input
• Increase
collabora4on
between
library,
disability,
and
informa4on
technology
services

30. Acknowledgements
Special
thanks
to
Maximilian
Feinsot
for
his
help
with
the
assessment
of
branches
and
work
on
the
survey.
Thanks
also
to
Lina
Di
Genova
for
her
help
with
survey
design,
distribu4on
and
data
collec4on.

31. Questions? Comments?
hCp://blogs.cbu.ca/wp-­‐content/uploads/2010/12/MC900438842.jpg
Andrea
Miller-­‐Nesbi/
Tanja
Beck
Life
Sciences
Library
Office
for
Students
with
Disabili4es
andrea.miller-­‐nesbiC@mcgill.ca
tanja.beck@mcgill.ca
(514)
398-­‐1663
(514)
398-­‐6009
hCp://www.slideshare.net/andreaemn

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