Connect and Communicate Presents: Disability in Academic Libraries: Moving from Accessibility to Inclusion

Presented by 

Katie Quirin Manwiller

Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm

Registration Link

Despite continued efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in academic libraries, our field often limits disability inclusion to the basic accessibility standards in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These standards are the bare minimum required by law and as such do not provide comprehensive inclusion for our students or library workers. This webinar will explain ADA compliance in academic libraries, the limitations of equating it with full accessibility, and the need to move beyond this frame of thinking to provide actual disability inclusion. It will end with practical tips to incorporate disability throughout your library’s EDI work.

Katie Quirin Manwiller is the Education Librarian and Assistant Professor at West Chester University. She is chronically ill and dynamically disabled. Katie’s scholarship focuses on improving disability inclusion in libraries through incorporating disability into diversity, equity, and inclusion work, addressing disability misconceptions, and creating accessible work environments. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree focused on strategic disability inclusion in higher education.

We will mute participants on entry into the Zoom room. Session will be recorded and available on YouTube after the session. We will enable Zoom’s Live Transcription feature during the session.

If you would like to present with C&CS, please contact the C&CS team.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, Governor.

Support is also provided by the College and Research Division of the Pennsylvania Library Association.