2019 Charleston Library Conference

Accommodating users with disabilities is not a new endeavor for libraries. However, the evolving landscape of content digitization and the shifting nature of the scholarly communication eco-system presents new challenges for libraries attempting to adhere to institutional policies and meet legal requirements regarding online accessibility for those users. The LYRASIS accessibility survey was conducted in the winter/spring of 2019 as a mechanism to better understand how (primarily academic) libraries within the Unites States are handling accessibility for their online content, and more specifically, where they stand in terms of policy and implementation. The core output of this survey is the 2019 LYRASIS Accessibility Survey Report. The report identified trends across a wide range of libraries. Moreover, the report exposed the need to review the current accessibility landscape to determine current initiatives and foster greater discussion about possible collaboration. This presentation will include a brief synopsis of the report and its key findings, an outline of current initiatives, and a panel presentation. Panelists current include:
• Jill Grogg, Strategist, Content & Scholarly Communication Initiatives, LYRASIS
• Heidi Schroeder, Accessibility Coordinator, Michigan State University

Other panelists are being identified in order to provide the broadest possible representation to investigate the following questions:
• What initiative are you working on in terms of accessibility for academic libraries?
• Why is this initiative so very important, and what makes it stand apart from previous initiatives?
• Do you see a way for individual libraries to incorporate your work into their workflows?
• What do you see as the most important information/skill set that libraries need to know to advance the cause of accessibility?