Why should we all care for accessibility issues? The presentation includes example of developing accessible service in libraries. What is needed in change and what are the benefits? How can you lead change?

1. Developing inclusive services – experiences
and ideas from Finnish libraries
Rauha Maarno, Finnish Library Association
1 Dec 2017 Vilnius University

2. Outline
• Why should we all care for accessibility issues?
• Making a change – inspiration from the Library for All project
• Accessibility Guidelines for Public Libraries and the Marrakesh
Treaty

3. Who?
•Rauha Maarno, executive
director, Finnish Library
Association
•Advocacy work
•Background in public libraries
and Celia national center for
accessible literature and
publishing in Finland
•To me, the motivation comes
from stories of the users

4. Why should we all care for
accessibility issues?

5. “A print disabled person is a person who cannot
effectively read print because of a visual,
physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive,
or learning disability.”

6. Affects all of us in some stage of life

8. Core value of libraries: equality

9. Photo: ABC Open Riverland, Flickr

10. Making a change – inspiration
from the project Library for All

11. • Partnership project between
Celia national center for
accessible literature and
publishing and public libraries in
Finland
• Serving the print disabled users
through the network of public
libraries
Project Library for All 2013-2015

12. Vision for the project
• More users
– In 2013 Celia had about 25 000 patrons although at least least 5 % of
the population are print disabled – in Finland: 270 000 people
– Increase the use of talking books web service
• Local libraries as service points for disabled users
• Better understanding of reading and learning

13. Talking books service at the local library
• Access to Celia online
service with over 40 000
titles of talking boooks
• Some have collections of
talking books on cd
• University and applied
science libraries are joining
the service

14. Results

15. Toolkit for change

16. Challenges
• Skills gaps and attitudes
• Services for disabled people have been developed in isolation
of mainstream services
• How to make inclusion a part of mainstream?
• What is accessible enough on the average?

18. My tips
• Indentify all the key agents: libraries, user groups, NGO´s,
disability organizations, government officials, copyright
experts etc.
• Use data and stories to motivate people
• Emotions – don´t skip them but deal with them
• Think of the big picture – make corrections on the way
• Accelerate the change by involving future professionals
(students)

19. Accessibility Guidelines for Public
Libraries and the Marrakesh Treaty

20. Accessibility Guidelines for Public
Libraries in Finland
• Spin off from the project Library for All
• Produced by a working group of accessibility and library
experts
• Published also in English, please see:
https://www.celia.fi/eng/accessible-library/

21. What is included?
• Strategic work and management
• Collections and materials
• Customer service
• Events
• Pedagogic operations
• Communications
• ICT

22. Marrakesh Treaty
• International treaty from 2013, ratified by 34 states
• Goal: facilitate access to published works for people who are
blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled
• Cross-border distribution of accessible books and other print
material in accessible formats
• Libraries can act as ”authorised entities”

23. What is next?
• EU directive on the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty
2017/1564, 13 September 2017
• Must be adopted to member states national legislation by 11
October 2018
• In Finland the process is still unclear
• IFLA is working on practical guidelines for libraries about the
treaty

24. Challenge yourself:
How accessible is my library and the
services we provide?