2 I. Ilana Snyder, Hypertext: The Electronic Labyrinth (Carlton South, Vie: Melbourne University Press, 1996), p. 122. 22. Stephen Boyd Davis, “Hypertext and Multimedia,” English Today 9 (January 1993): 2 1. 23. Andrew Large, “Hypertext Instructional Programs and Learner Control: A Research Review,” Education for Information 14 (June 1996): 104. 24. Ibid., p. 101. 25. Paul Kahn & George P. Landow, “The Pleasures of Possibility: What Is Disorientation in Hypertext?’ Journal ofcomputing in Higher Education 4 (Spring 1993): 57-78. 26. Ibid., p. 73. 27. Steven W. Staninger, “Hypertext Technology: Educational Consequences,” Educational Technology 34 (July/August 1994): 5 1. 28. Ross Atkinson, “Networks, Hypertext, and Academic Information Services: Some Longer-Range Implications,” College & Reseurch Libraries 54 (May 1993): 208. 29. Darryl Laferte, “Hypertext and Hypermedia: Toward a Rhizorhetorical Investigation of Communication,” Readerly/W’riter/~ Texts: Essays on Literature, Literaryflextual Criticism and Pedagogy 3 (Fall/Winter 1995): 55. 30. Atkinson, “Networks, Hypertext,” p. 205. 3 1. Corinne Jorgensen & Peter Jorgensen, “Citations in Hypermedia: Maintaining Critical Links,” College & Research Libraries 52 (November I99 I ): 530. 32. Ibid., p. 53 I. 33. Terence Harpold, “The Contingencies of the Hypertext Link,” Writing on the Edge 2 (199 1): 126. 34. Large, “Hypertext Instructional Programs,” p. 99. 35. George P. Landow, “Twenty Minutes into the Future: Or, How Are We Moving beyond the Book?” in The Future of the Book, edited by Geoffrey Nunberg (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1996), p. 226. 36. George P. Landow, Hypertext 2.0 (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. 1997). p. 25. 37. Ibid., p. 29. 38. Atkinson, “Networks, Hypertext,” p. 206. 39. Landow, Hypertext 2.0, p. 158. 40. Message sent by Erik Jul to intercat@oclc.org (March 30, 1998). 41. Ibid. 42. D. Grant Campbell & Joseph P. Cox, “Cataloguing Internet Resources,” Feliciter 43 (May 1997): 62.

Instructional Services for Students with Disabilities by Mary Beth Applin

E qua1 opportunity in education and employment has long been mandated in this country for ethnic and gender groups. Legislation providing equal access for the dis-

abled has been slow in coming. It was not until passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in 1990, that protec- tion and support were legislated to ensure that basic resources, heretofore limited to the handicapped by environmental imped- iments or mental indifference, were accessible to all. The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities are given “equal oppor- tunity for employment (Title I), equal access to public services (Title II), and public accommodations and services provided by private entities (Title III).“’ Title II particularly impacts librar- ies and librarians. Equal access to public services requires that libraries not only become physically accessible to all disabled users, but that all services are adequately adapted to meet the special needs of these individuals.

IMPEDIMENTS TO EQUAL ACCESS IN BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES

Although libraries have quickly moved to remedy most physical obstacles impeding access to their facilities, many have not restructured service provision such as bibliographic instruction to accommodate the special needs of students. (Bibliographic instruction here is used to describe instruction to a library user in a classroom, workshop, or seminar.) Often, librarians are reactive rather than pro-active when structuring bibliographic instructional services for persons with disabilities, particularly in the academic setting. It is only when an individual with a dis- ability requests such services that librarians mobilize to try to gather the necessary background information, tools, and/or appropriate equipment to provide an adequate learning experi- ence.

A couple of obstacles account for the reactive approach. First of all, the specialized equipment necessary for providing ade- quate services is costly and therefore deemed unaffordable. Libraries are not anxious to purchase expensive items which may only be used for a short time by one or two persons. Another obstacle is that librarians are typically inexperienced or uneducated when it comes to working with people with disabil- ities. Most libraries offer little or no training to their staff con- cerning the special needs of the disabled population. Although reading the literature might provide librarians with some back- ground information and some practical suggestions, it is diffi- cult to restructure teaching styles developed to teach a non- disabled public.

To further complicate a librarian’s ability to provide adequate accommodations, students are not required and often do not dis- close their disability. Student do not want to draw undo attention to their handicap, or they do not want to appear “different” or “stupid.“* Further, students with disabilities sometimes avoid using library services because of prior bad experiences or because they believe that libraries do not offer services in formats accessible to them. Inadvertently, students with special needs

Mary Beth Applin is information Services Librarian, Cook Library,

University of Southern Mississippi, Southern Station/Box 5053, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406 <mary.app/in@usm.edu>.

March 1999 139

Table1 Equipment and Approximate Prices for Classroom Workstation

l Pentium-2, IBM compatible, 266 megahertz or better, 266 or more CPU, 128 or more RAM, 4.3 or better gigabyte hard drive (sound card, speakers, earphones) (*$1,300-1,700)

l 17” or better color monitor (*$SSO)

l Screen Reader (*$650)

l Track ball (*$60-80)

l Text enlargement software ( *$800)

l CCTV for magnifying materials, such as Aladdin Personal Reader (*$1,700)

l Internet Explorer 4.01 (reformats Web pages for easy screen reader)

l Print Reader (talking software with scanner) (*$1,250)

Node: (*Prices are approximations based on leading brands)

often do not receive adequate instructional services whether it be in the classroom or in a one-on-one situation.

MEETING THE NEEDS

Can libraries be pro-active in providing appropriate accommo- dations in light of these obstacles? It is possible if the library’s administration and staff are committed to the goal. Several options are available if staff are willing to devote the time and energy necessary. First of all, costly equipment (see Table 1) can be purchased through other means or with a minimum of library funds. Often libraries simply need to advertise their need to the community, faculty or students, or solicit funds from appropri- ate groups in order to receive financial assistance. At the Uni- versity of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), the students voted to institute a computer fee based on the number of credits for which each student registers. The committee overseeing the dis- tribution of computer fees awarded the library two adaptive technology workstations to assist the visually impaired.3 Vari- ous grants are also available through such offices as the Depart- ment of Education (http://ocfo.ed.gov/gmtinfo.htm) or the National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov/home/ grantshtm). These grants can be applied for individually by the library or in cooperation with other agencies or departments (e.g., the Student with Disabilities Office on an academic cam- pus.) One final method of obtaining equipment with a minimum of funds is to purchase the equipment through cooperative agreements with other local libraries or with other university departments. Each shares in the cost and each benefits from the use of the equipment.

Another important aspect of ensuring adequate accommoda- tions is to provide staff with appropriate training. Ignorance about disabilities often causes staff to shy away from helping patrons with special needs or lends to communication difficul- ties during interactions. Students with disabilities at UMKC involved in a staff sensitivity training exercise commented that “the attitudes of those [library staff] interactin often more important than their actual words.” $

with them were Training should

sensitize the staff to the special needs of people with disabilities and help them feel more comfortable interacting with them. Training for staff should be given annually to ensure that new staff receive it as well as to keep continuing staff updated on changes in equipment or services. Teaching strategies, learning styles, and available resources should be covered to assist all staff involved in instructing students formally (in class) or

140 The Journal of Academic Librarianship

TABLE 2 Accessibility Web Sites

RCLS LibraryLand: Disability Resources: www.rcls.org/libland/out/disable.htm

Disabilities Resources Librarians’ Connections: www.geocities.com/-drm/DRMlibs.html

Full-text articles on library services for people with disabilities:

http://elvis.inf.tu-dresden.di/-kahlisch/misc/itd lib/

Free adaptive ideas and programs:

http://www.trace.wisc.edu

Resources for Accessible Web Design: http://weber.u.washington.edu/-bamf/UA/PRESENT/reftxt.html

National Library Services of the Blind and Physically Disabled: http://lcweb.loc.gov/nls/nls.html

Information on ADA and other legal materials: www.lib.clemson.edu/links/disabilities.html

For free adaptive ideas and programs:

www.trace.wisc.edu

Mac programs: http://www.sped.ukans.edu/-dlance/freeindex.html

informally (one-on-one). There are several good World Wide Web (Web) sites that offer a variety of information and resources on training, adaptive equipment, and guidelines (see Table 2).

CACHING ~CHNIQUES TO

IMPROVE LEARNING

How do librarians provide accommodations to students who do not disclose their disability? Many students have mild disabili- ties which they would rather deal with silently than disclose, even if it means that they may have to struggle harder. There are certain things that librarians can incorporate into their everyday teaching methods which will assist individuals with mild impairments and would even be beneficial to non-handicapped peers. Since all individuals learn differently, library staff should develop a teaching style which naturally incorporates a variety of multi-sensory learning techniques. In other words, a librar- ian’s teaching style should automatically include appropriate

visual, aural, and tactile techniques to meet the needs of every kind of learner. It is diff54t to restructure teaching styles entrenched with habits developed teaching a non-handicapped public. Staff who temporarily restructure their style for one patron with a disability may do so at the expense of drawing unnecessary attention to that patron. The instructor’s over-con- scientiousness may appear awkward and make the patron with the disability feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. So why be reactive and restructure one’s teaching style only when a student with a disability is present? Why not develop a teaching style that incorporates techniques that meet the needs of various indi- viduals whether these individuals have disabilities or not? Such a teaching style would certainly assist even non-handicapped patrons.

MULTI-SENSORY ‘EACHING

How can an instructor develop a multi-sensory teaching style? It certainly takes practice and requires constant feedback from patrons, with and without disabilities, in order to perfect it. The basic strategy to remember is that anything that is taught should include short, specific, verbal instructions or explanations; sim- ple, large, visual representations; and immediate, hands-on experience. No matter what the learning style of the patron, a primary strategy is provided with secondary reinforcement given through the use of the other two techniques. This does not mean that further enhancements will not be needed for some students with disabilities, but the daily activity of teaching will not always have to be revamped in order to provide a meaning- ful learning experience. The following are some further consid- erations for developing a multi-sensory teaching style:

l Use simple, well-labeled handouts. Handouts should serve to represent a single point or a simple explanation which reinforces a point within the lecture. Explanations should be clear and concise. Pictures should be large and labeled. Definitions should be brief and contain illustrations when appropriate.

l Do not use library-ese or other language idioms. Librari- ans tend to forget that library terminology is unfamiliar to most of the general public. Instructors should familiarize patrons with these words but should use plain, understand- able language in explanations and handouts. Patrons with perceptual and neurological disorders (not to mention inter- national patrons) have a hard time following innuendos, inferences and underlying messages we use in the English language. Their use should be avoided.

l Always include visual, aural and hands-on experience to explain a lesson. Mix lectures with as many visual aids and student activities as possible to reinforce the point in as many ways as possible.

= Follow a logical, sequential, lesson plan. Patrons with neurological disorders (e.g., attention deficit disorders or traumatic brain injuries) have a hard time following lectures or directions which are not concise and sequential. Teachers should decide the most essential items for a student to know and provide the information without long, unnecessary

explanations or irrelevant stories. An outline at the begin- ning of class and a summary at the conclusion of class is helpful.

Give as many opportunities as possible for practice. Repetition may seem boring and unnecessary to librarians who are already familiar with a skill. But most library con- cepts or skills are unfamiliar to most patrons. Give opportu- nities for practice or regurgitation as often as possible and in as many formats (visual, aural, and physical) as possible.

Do not write on a chalkboard during a presentation. Blind and visually impaired patrons rely a great deal on a speaker’s voice. If an instructor turns to write on a board and continues to talk, patrons will miss information given during that time. If using the board, have your material written on it before class begins and simply point to it dur- ing the presentation.

If using a chalkboard, write in large letters. Always use white, not colored, chalk. Deaf and hearing impaired patrons rely a great deal on visual cues and explanations. Therefore, any visual aids given should be large and demonstrative. Also visually impaired patrons and patrons with low visual acuity (glasses) often have a difficult time seeing small, distant, and colored lettering.

Make library assignments relevant to patrons needs. Concepts and skills will be more quickly grasped and retained if the experiences are relevant, interesting, or meet a specific need.

Be sure that both the library’s and the university’s Web pages are handicapped accessible. Certain considerations when designing a Web page make the page ‘readable’ for patrons using voice interfaces or braille displayers. Textual alternatives should be included to ensure readability.

Allow and encourage the use of tape recorders.

CONCLUSION

Most students find their first experience in an academic library overwhelming and intimidating. Bibliographic instruction is an important component for easing the transition into the academic setting and developing the skills needed for a successful library and, ultimately, college experience. As more and more students with special needs attend college, it is essential that academic libraries and librarians structure services to ensure that these students are given the skills and experiences which empower them to participate actively in their own education.

NOTES AND REFERENCES I. Barbara Wittkopf, “Making Sure We‘re ‘in Compliance,“’ Reseurch Strategies 10 (Winter 1993): 2. 2. Elizabeth Curry notes that disclosure of a handicapping condition is voluntary and that many students at Northern Illinois University do not, in fact, disclose the information. “Ask, So You Can Give: Reference/Research Service for the Disabled in an Academic Library.” RQ 30 (Summer 199 1): 479-85. 3. Marilyn Graubart, “Serving the Library Needs of Students with Physical Disabilities,” Libra9 Hi Tech I4 ( 1996): 37-40. 4. Ibid. p. 39.

March 1999 141