2023 GLS Accessibility Conference

Submitted by Joan Dudzinski

I was privileged to attend this year's GLS Accessibility Conference. It was their first in-person event since the pandemic and it is only held every other year. There were representatives from GPLS, PINES, Georgia Tech, and UGA in attendance, all providing additional information about their involvement with GLS.

The theme for the conference was “Getting to Know GLS” and the focus was primarily on getting to know the different agencies and what services are available.

There were two keynote speakers, one was Jason Broughton, Director of the National Library Services (NLS) for the Blind and Print Disabled, and another was Julie Walker, Georgia State Librarian, and COSLA President. COSLA is the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies. Given her role with COSLA (mission statement below), I think we can be assured she has our best interests at heart. She mentioned that Georgia is often on the leading edge with libraries and that ideas are often borrowed from the state.

COSLA's Mission is to provide leadership on issues of common concern and national interest; to further state library agency relationships with the federal government and national organizations, and to initiate cooperative action for the improvement of library services to the people of the United States.

Julie regularly works with NLS and other federal agencies, as well as, state and national organizations like ALA to advocate for libraries and their services. She had to make her speech virtually as she was still lobbying at the State Capitol for library funding and other legislation.

Jason was a very engaging speaker and passionate about his work and helping to get the word out on what the NLS can do for citizens. He stated that NLS is trying to become more like a traditional library in its offerings by including more children and youth titles, cookbooks, and Amish romance (equally popular in braille). NLS already has an enormous music, sheet music, and musical instructional collection. He gave a brief history of the agency which was founded in 1932. Today, NLS is working on a variety of new technologies that can assist patrons with accessing information in multiple formats including new braille readers. 

There was some incredible new technology available on display at tables throughout the conference. Brittany Vaughn provided an overview of the features of a number of new items. One of the newest items is the new Brailliant Reader with Assistive Technology. One patron and active volunteer with GLS spoke about how she uses it daily to read, stay informed with news and other information, and take notes for the many groups she belongs to. 

Rachel Ruckard of Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS) gave a presentation on how this group has been providing daily news updates from many of the state's larger newspapers (AJC, Athens, Columbus, Macon, Augusta, and more) and making them available every day.  They too learned how to make recordings in their homes during the pandemic and converted many closets into sound stations. It takes a tremendous amount of effort and many volunteers to read each day's news and record it to be available by noon the day it is in print! Amazing!

Bookshare is an online library collection for the blind and print-disabled. Their collection includes reading for all ages including textbooks for K-12 and some college textbooks. These materials are available in a multitude of formats from ePub, large print, braille, Daisy/MP3, and audio-highlighted text. Many new releases are made available on the day of release and there is no waiting list. Two of the more popular screen reader apps discussed were Dolphin Easy Reader and Jaws.

The Georgia Technology Authority discussed its Digital Equity Program. They presented statistics on broadband availability in the state of Georgia and what they are doing to improve it. The entire state has previously been mapped in terms of broadband access. As the map illustrates, rural Georgia is poorly served in terms of broadband access. The current initiative to extend broadband coverage is underway and working with the communities with the least or no access first and moving outward from there.

AccessGA runs the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation for Georgia Tech. Johan Remple discussed the many ways an organization can check to see if their website is digitally accessible for use by the blind and print-disabled. They offer an evaluation service to organizations to check how digitally compliant a website is, make recommendations, and provide training.

It was inspiring to hear all the stories and initiatives working towards making libraries and reading more accessible to the public. There was also an awards dinner and the social event was a Line Dancing Blind Class. I made sure no photos were taken of me attempting this.

The most important takeaway from the conference is the number of services available to this population but unfortunately, too many people are unaware of them. So, if you have a patron looking for solutions for themselves or someone they know, direct them to GLS and they can help find the right materials or devices for their specific needs, AND IT'S FREE. Please remember that these services are not just for blind individuals. Other eligible people may have a physical disability such as arthritis that prevents them from being able to hold a book, medical conditions like MS or cerebral palsy, or a reading disability such as dyslexia. As librarians, we can certify a patron is eligible for their services and refer them.