Accessibility - the ability to access, the state of being practicable, feasible, performable, achievable, surmountable, attainable, and obtainable - is about and for everyone. Actually, for both today and tomorrow, we all need accessibility, alternative formats, and the treasure trove of assistive technology: from pens, paper clips, multiple e-mail accounts, and universally-designed accessible webpages, to cell phones, pagers, and credit cards. To truly embrace diversity, our libraries and information centers, and their resources must be accessible. Low, cost-free accessibility solutions are especially attractive during lean economic times (Perlow, 2004).
Aging or Senescence - "the progressive deterioration of virtually every bodily function over time (Austad, 1997, 6).
Abstract: A for Accessibility, A for Aging: It's About Everyone! - Presenter: Ellen Perlow
In 1900, life expectancy was under 50. Today, most people plan to live into their 70's, many into their 80's (MIT. AgeLab, 2004). Population aging is a global health, economic, and social phenomenon of major proportions (WHO, 2004). Normal human aging involves diverse health, psychological, and social changes, affecting every aspect of our daily living, work, personal independence (Alessio, 2001; Morgan & Kunkel, 2001; Ladd, 2003), including policies, resources, and services of our libraries and information centers.
Numerous accessibility issues arise, especially as a result of illness, chronic disease, and/or injury (U.S. AOA Center for Communication and Consumer Services, 2004; U.S. NIA, 2004). As accessibility experts, people representing the universal diversity of doing things differently, people with differabilities [PWDs], provide valuable guidance for successful adaptation to the aging process.
Interactively explore how librarians and information specialists may incorporate innovative PWD-designed strategies to proactively address everyone's needs in our aging society.
References
Alessio, H. (2001). Physiology of human aging. In: L. Morgan & S. Kunkel. Aging: the social context. 2d ed. (pp. 107-141). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Austad, S.N. (1997). Why we age: what science is discovering about the body's journey through life. New York: Wiley, 1997.
Ladd, L. (2003, September 11). Coping with shifting relationships: Fall 2003 Brown Bag Series on Parenting Your Parents. Texas Woman's University Libraries-Denton Campus. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://www.twu.edu/library/care_2003.htm
Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]. AgeLab. (2004). Driving and personal mobility. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://web.mit.edu/agelab/projects_driving.shtml
Morgan, L. & Kunkel, S. (2001). Aging: the social context. 2d ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
U.S. Administration on Aging. Center for Communication and Consumer Services. (2004). Aging Internet information notes: assistive technology and aging. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://www.aoa.gov/prof/notes/notes%5Fassisted%5Ftech.asp
U.S. National Institute on Aging [NIA]. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2004). NIH senior health. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://nihseniorhealth.gov/about.html
World Health Organization [WHO]. (2004). Ageing. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://www.who.int/health_topics/ageing/en/
Brief Biography of Presenter
Ellen Perlow, librarian at Texas Woman's University Libraries and a perennial exhibitor on accessibility issues at the ALA Diversity Fair, is a career academic librarian and educator with degrees in elementary education, library and information science, educational technology, and law. Her current doctoral research in the Department of Health Studies at Texas Woman's University focuses on accessibility and aging. Ellen is a graduate of the California State University at Northridge [CSUN] Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (September 2000) and CSUN Symposium Series advanced accessibility training (2001-2003) ( http://www.csun.edu/codtraining/). Since 1999, she has participated in CSUN as well as Assistive Technology Industry Association annual international assistive technology conferences and pre-conference training. She has been an invited speaker at CSUN 2002 and 2004 conferences. Ms. Perlow has conducted numerous workshops, presentations, and poster sessions on accessibility, assistive technology, the diversity of differability, and positive language for local, state, national, and international library and information conferences, and for graduate and undergraduate classes at Texas Woman's University and the University of Texas at Arlington. Ms. Perlow is a founder of the American Library Association's Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Association [ASCLA] Division Century Scholarship Diversity Initiative, and chair of the scholarship committee. The endowed, independently-funded ASCLA Century Scholarship, now in its fifth year, assists students who happen to have differabilities attend American Library Association-accredited graduate programs of library and information science and become leaders in the LIS profession. Ms. Perlow was recognized with the 2003 ASCLA Service Award for her Century Scholarship-related efforts and advocacy.
Ellen Perlow's Website: http://www.a4access.org/ E-Mail: eperlow@hotmail.com
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This page last updated Sunday, May 14, 2004, 5 pm CDT
