1. UNIVERSAL DESIGN
IN HEALTH
LIBRARIES
Andrea Miller-Nesbitt
Life Sciences Library
McGill University
andrea.miller-nesbitt@mcgill.ca

2. Overview
• Introduce the concept of Universal Design
• Provide some background
• Emerging clientele
• Principles of Universal Design
• Applications to libraries

3. http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Accessible+learning+students+with+disabilities/7778105/story.html

4. 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 et al, 1997)
“Signpost” symbol by The Noun Project taken from the Noun Project collection (blog.thenounproject.com/)

5. Brief History
2008 – UN
convention on
2001 – the Rights of
Ontarians with
Persons with
Disabilities Act
1990 – The Disabilities
Americans
with
mid 1980’s – Disabilities Act
Emergence
of Disability
Studies as
1960’s an academic
and 70’s – discipline
Disability
Rights
Movement
Medical Model Social Model
Center for Universal Design, 2011

6. Percentage of undergraduate students
who self-identify as having a disability
11
10
9
8
%
7
6
5
4
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
year
Based on reports from the Canadian University Survey Consortium

7. Disability at McGill
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Based on OSD registration at McGill for 2011-2012 academic year

8. Universal Design for Instruction
• Equitable use
• Flexibility in use
• Simple and intuitive
• Perceptible information
• Tolerance for error
• Low physical effort
• Size and space for approach and use
• Community of learners
• Instructional climate
“Health Education” symbol by Jack Biesek et al. taken from the Noun Project collection (blog.thenounproject.com/)

9. Universal Design for Learning
Recognition network: Strategic network: Affective network:
How we gather facts How we organize How we are
and categorize the our ideas, plan tasks motivated, challenged
information we are and solve problems and interested by
receiving what we are learning
Provide multiple, Provide multiple, Provide multiple,
flexible methods of flexible methods of flexible options for
presentation expression engagement
Centre for Applied Special Technology, 2012

10. Some Examples…
Physical Collections Instruction
Spaces
• Adjustable • CNIB HUB plan • Online tutorials
furniture • HathiTrust • Webinars
• Adjustable • Assistive • Making
lighting technologies resources
• Private spaces available before
• Clear signage/ session
floor plans • Assistive
technologies

11. Questions?
Andrea Miller-Nesbitt
andrea.miller-nesbitt@mcgill.ca
(514) 398-1663
“Mental Health” symbol by Jack Biesek et al. taken from the Noun Project collection (blog.thenounproject.com/)

12. Selected Sources
Bringolf, Jane. (2008). Universal Design: Is it Accessible? Multi: The RIT Journal of Plurality & Diversity in Design, 1(2), 45-52.
Burgstahler, S. (2012). Universal design of instruction (UDI): definition, principles, guidelines, and examples. DO-IT. University of
Washington. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/instruction.html
Canadian University Survey Consortium. (2011). CUSC 2011 undergraduate univiersity student survey: master report. Retrieved from
http://www.cusc-ccreu.ca/publications.htm
Center for Applied Special Technology. (2012). About UDL Retrieved May 2, 2012, 2012, from
http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html
Center for Universal Design. July 9, 2011). History of Universal Design. Retrieved January 9, 2013, from
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/design-projects/udi/center-for-universal-design/history-of-universal-design/
Chodock, T., & Dolinger, E. (2009). Applying Universal Design to Information Literacy: Teaching Students Who Learn Differently at Landmark
College. [Feature Article]. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 49(1), 24-32.
Connell, B., R., Jones, M., et al. (1997). The principles of universal design. Retrieved June 1st, 2011, from
http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm
Creamer, D. (2007). Universal Instructional Design for Libraries. [Article]. Colorado Libraries, 33(4), 12-15.
Neumann, H. (2003). What Teacher-Librarians Should Know about Universal Design. [Article]. Teacher Librarian, 31(2), 17-20.
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2006). A practical reader in universal design for learning. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Press.

13. “Between the Lines” by/par Alex Masket
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