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ERIC Number: EJ1015615
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2166-160X
EISSN: N/A
Meeting Needs: Effective Programs for Students with Disabilities
Small, Ruth V.; Stewart, Jessica
School Library Monthly, v29 n8 p11-13 May-Jun 2013
Since passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools are required to educate students with disabilities in the "least restrictive environment" (Hopkins 2005), i.e., to the maximum extent possible with their non-disabled peers (Myhill 2004). School libraries are required to ensure that prekindergarten through grade 12 children and school staff with disabilities have equal opportunity to use and benefit from library facilities and services under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990). Furthermore, the IDEA (2004) supports the use of technology to maximize accessibility of the general education curriculum for these students (Downing 2006). Children with a range of developmental and physical disabilities are now mainstreamed into public schools, are provided with special services, and are either integrated into inclusive classrooms or placed in special education classes. Therefore, students with disabilities should have at least an equal opportunity to participate in library programs as their nondisabled peers (Downing 2006). Unfortunately, research demonstrates that many school libraries do not fulfill this obligation (Murray 1999; Smith Canter, Voytecki, Zambone, and Jones 2011) and school librarians, due to lack of pre-service or in-service training, feel unable to meet their professional responsibilities to this underserved population (Rubin 2002; Small, Snyder, and Parker 2009). However, even when such professional development is provided in their schools, the librarian is often excluded from participation (e.g., Murray 1999; Cox and Lynch 2006; Small, Snyder, and Parker 2009). There is, however, no lack of desire on the part of librarians to improve their effectiveness in this area. This article describes a solution: Project ENABLE (Expanding Non-Discriminatory Access by Librarians Everywhere)--a project of the Center for Digital Literacy at Syracuse, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. The project includes summer face-to-face workshops for collaborative educator teams and a freely available and accessible training website. The Project ENABLE training website provides free and accessible professional education to librarians who seek to deliver effective, inclusive library and information services and programs to their students with disabilities.
Libraries Unlimited. Subscription Department, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881. Tel: 888-371-0152; Fax: 203-454-8662; Web site: http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Americans with Disabilities Act 1990; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; Rehabilitation Act 1973
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A