Workshops

Solutions to Library/Print Material Access

Access to information is a fundamental right of all Canadians. Since only three percent of the world's literature is converted into multiple formats, post-secondary students with print disabilities are dependent on programs, service providers and librarians to obtain the information and materials they need to meet their course requirements. Program completion at the post-secondary level is the most direct way to ensure employability and integration for people with disabilities into the economic and social mainstream of Canadian society.

This workshop allows us to explore these issues three years after the landmark 2005 NEADS study “Access to Academic Materials for Print Disabled Post-Secondary Students”. Several new initiatives on provincial and national scales have been developed to address the issues of access to library and print materials. Solutions to access problems in receiving academic materials in accessible formats will be offered in key areas in an interactive session involving students, librarians, service providers and other stakeholders.

Presenters

• Trisha Lucy, Library and Archives Canada
• Anthony Tibbs, McGill University
• Ryan Vernon, Langara College
• Daniel Zingaro, University of Toronto

Moderator

• Jewelles Smith, NEADS British Columbia Representative