Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS)

Chicago-area locals Mike Berkson and Tim Wambach have been friends for 17 years, and for the last eight they've been touring the nation presenting Handicap This! , an inspirational comedy that challenges stereotypes, breaks down barriers, and sends a message of inclusion where judgement is not allowed. Mike was born with cerebral palsy and is an organizer of the Keep on Keeping On Foundation to assist people with physical disabilities. When Tim was in his twenties, he was hired to be Mike's one-on-one aide, and they immediately hit it off. On stage, the pair shares an authentic snippets of their friendship and of what it's like to live with a disability. It is fitting that the final farewell performance will be at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, which is where is all started eight years ago. Help Mike and Tim achieve their big dream of performing to a full house on Friday, November 9 at 8:00pm .  Get tickets to the final performance, and save ...

The 14th Annual Disability Pride Parade is this weekend, on Saturday, July 22! The Parade kicks off at 11:00am from 401 S. Plymouth Court (beside the Harold Washington Library Center), and then travels up Dearborn Street to the Daley Center where post-parade festivities take place beginning at 12:30pm. According to the parade website , the overall mission of the Disability Pride Parade is: To change the way people think about and define “disability;” To break down and end the internalized shame among people with Disabilities; and To promote the belief in society that Disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity in which people living with Disabilities can take pride. Wouldn't it be great if a group of SNAILS members could meet downtown and cheer for the parade participants?? If you'd like to show support as a spectator use the Contact Us form on the right side of the blog, and I'll work out the logistics for meeting in one place. If you can'...

Last month, I read an incredible article by Corinne Duyvis entitled Navigating Criticism and Discussions of Disability Representation from the Disability in Kidlit Blog .  Some of Duyvis' other articles I have found equally insightful include Disability Metaphors in Sci-Fi and Fantasy , Happy Endings and Overcoming Autism , and The State of Disability on Book Covers .  I have also found this interview with her particularly compelling. I keep going back to her posts because they are insightful, well-written, and challenge me to reflect upon disability representation in ways I perhaps would not--and in many ways, cannot --consider as someone who does not self-identify as disabled.  In our current library landscape where #WeNeedDiverseBooks is more than just a hashtag, it is increasingly important for librarians to advocate and champion diversity in representation in children's and young adult literature.  This is why the Disability in Kidlit Blog is...

Instructor: Carli Spina Dates: September 5-30, 2016 Credits: 1.5 CEUs Price: $175 Register for this course Approximately 15% of the population worldwide live with some type of disability, making individuals with disabilities an important and often underserved constituency for libraries. Despite this, many libraries overlook simple and affordable measures that could improve their accessibility. In this course, you will learn concrete techniques for improving your library’s accessibility for individuals with a wide range of disabilities. You will learn the meaning of accessibility and universal design and how these apply in a library setting through a combination of readings, hands-on exercises, online discussions, and demonstration videos. Students who complete the assignments will have concrete ideas for integrating accessibility and universal design principles into library workflows. This four-week course will cover techniques and tools for testing webs...

Last December, Renee and I had the pleasure of presenting the final webinar in a five-part series celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act for Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS). We opened with some statistics about the prevalence of disabilities and then briefly talked about models of service and inclusive technologies that create a welcoming library environment for young patrons. Our favorite part of the presentation was the time spent showcasing the amazing targeted and inclusive programs our SNAILS member libraries are offering children, teens, and young adults. We're so proud of you! We invite you to view the presentation and share it widely. An archive of the webinar, including handouts, is posted on the  RAILS website .

Since SNAILS began in 2013, we have hosted a variety of knowledgeable guest speakers to provide training and learning for our members.  What makes the SNAILS networking group unique is that we go the extra mile to record parts of our meeting and share them online to provide opportunities for professional development to those that can't be with us in person.  You don't have to be a youth services librarian to learn something from these presentations--library staff from any type of library serving any age group can learn from these guest speakers.  Whether you weren't able to make the trip to one of our Illinois library meeting locations, or you're from out of state and want to see what you can apply to your own library community, we have something for everyone! Here's a short list of links to videos featuring guest presenters: Giant Steps : Music therapist Kylie Kirksey from Giant Steps shares tips for using music in library programs to engage children on t...

There are many opportunities for learning about serving special population children at ALA!  So, as you make your final schedule for 2015 ALA Annual in San Francisco, the ALSC Library Services to Special Population Children and Their Caregivers Committee encourages you to add the programs below. Library Services for the Incarcerated and Detained | Saturday, 06/27/2015 – 08:30am – 10:00am | Marriott Marquis San Francisco – Yerba Buena Salon 04 Hearing on Guidelines for Library Services to Persons with Dementia | Saturday, 06/27/2015 – 10:30am – 11:30am | Moscone Convention Center – 133 (N) Next Chapter Book Club: A Community-based Model for Engaging People with Disabilities | Saturday, 06/27/2015 – 10:30am – 11:30am | Moscone Convention Center – 2000 (W) AIDS in the End Zone: Working with Incarcerated Youth to Create a Graphic Novel on HIV/AIDS Prevention | Saturday, 06/27/2015 – 01:00pm – 02:30pm | Moscone Convention Center – 122 (N) Conversation Start...

How does your library prepare staff for inclusive customer service?  Before you plan or implement any targeted programs for people with disabilities, it's important to provide staff with the tools they need to welcome library patrons equitably and respectfully. This month, staff at the Glen Ellyn Public Library will spend part of their in-service day participating in a disability awareness training hosted by JJ's List and the Disability Awareness Players.  This will be an opportunity for library staff at all levels to learn about disability-friendly customer service strategies led by trained professionals and self-advocates.   In addition to the all-staff training, Youth staff will focus their afternoon on learning specifically about autism spectrum disorder.  In recognition of April as Autism Awareness Month , our Youth Department will learn what we can do to be more welcoming children with ASD.  In order to prepare for this discussion, staff fille...

Looking for some professional development about serving underserved populations in libraries?  Check out this upcoming LACONI program hosted at the Indian Prairie Public Library in Darien, Illinois.   Opening the Doors, Reaching the Underserved  Friday, April 24, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm Indian Prairie Public Library , Darien IL Brief Agenda 10:00 am: The Northwest Special Recreation Association gives their Empathy Presentation. 11:00 am: The Disability Players from JJ's List present a skit about serving differently-abled patrons. 1:00 pm: Journeys: The Road Home discusses serving the homeless. 2:00 pm: PFLAG  (Parents, families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)  discusses how to make the library more welcoming to LGBTQ families and teens. Purchase Tickets Here

Grab your calendar and circle Saturday, November 1 because you do not want to miss Handicap This! What started out as a friendship between Mike Berkson (who has cerebral palsy) and Tim Wambach (who does not) grew into a partnership and a passion to make minds handicap accessible. Through their comedic theatrical performances, Mike and Tim share the message of inclusion and tolerance, often bringing audiences to laughter and tears. Handicap This! is playing at North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie  on  Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 8:00pm.   Tickets are $26.00 and $36.00. If you plan to go, please leave a comment below so I can share the coupons that were dropped off at Skokie Public Library and we can meet up before the show!

Don't miss Webjunction's upcoming FREE webinar entitled "Serving the Underserved: Children with Disabilities at Your Library."  This presentation shares inspiring programming and innovative ideas for libraries to serve children with special needs.  It is hosted by Renee Grassi, Youth Department Director at the Glen Ellyn Public Library. Click here to register! Date : October 21, 2014 Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time (1-2:30 CST) Webinar Description :  Whether large or small, rural or urban, all library communities serve patrons with special needs. Developing an awareness of and sensitivity to children with disabilities is crucial for providing top-notch library services. This webinar shares inspiring programming and innovative ideas for new services to target this special population. Learn about what online resources are available for staff to serve children with special needs more fully, and explore strategies to reevaluate and make new ac...

Our winter meeting was held on Wednesday, February 12 at the Glenside Public Library.  Thank you to our hosts and to all of those who attended for your contributions to our discussions that day.  It was great to see you!  Here’s the meeting recap, with a video of JJ’s presentation: JJs's List JJ Hanley from JJ’s List spoke to the group about Disability Awareness.  JJ’s List is a website that collects reviews for people with disabilities, similar to Yelp.  Visitors can post information and reviews.  It’s a resource for people to use to find out how disability aware a business is.  The Directory includes at least 23 industry sectors, including libraries.  JJ encouraged the group to post our own reviews of area businesses as well as to add our libraries to the directory.  Contact Sarah Armour (sarah(at)jjslist.com) to help you manage your profile.  JJ’s List will also work with you to help your library get a Disability-Aware Business ...