Accessibility and Public Libraries Under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act: What Trustees Need to Know
Live Webinar Date/Time
Date: Saturday, January 11, 2025
Start Time: 11:00 am Eastern | 10:00 am Central | 9:00 am Mountain | 8:00 am Pacific
Duration: 90 minutes
NOTE: This webinar is FREE to some United for Libraries statewide partners. Please read the information below *before* purchasing registration for this webinar.
Description
Accessibility of public services and facilities for people with disabilities is one of the significant emerging issues for public libraries. In addition to being required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the need for accessibility is quickly becoming a simple operational necessity:
- Approximately 17.7% of the U.S. population is over 65. Census.gov
- 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have a disability. CDC.gov
- 10-20% of the global population are neurodiverse. Deloitte
- 1 in 5 Adults in the U.S. are estimated to have a diagnosed mental illness. NIH
Current laws and societal shifts have increased visibility and knowledge about disabilities, and as communities evolve and populations shift, public libraries will have to adapt their services and facilities in order to continue to provide quality service to their communities - and comply with state and federal laws.
This webinar will provide an introduction to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a general overview of the legal expectations for public libraries to provide access and services to people with a wide range of disabilities, as well as information on other emerging accessibility trends such as language accessibility and religious accommodation.
The presentation is focused on the responsibilities of Trustees in ensuring that their libraries are truly welcoming to all of their communities - now and into the future.
Speaker
Clare Membiela is the Library Law Consultant for the Library of Michigan. She helps public libraries understand and manage legal issues that impact library services. Before joining the Library of Michigan in 2016, she was the associate director for library and instructional support for the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Libraries. Before moving to Michigan, she worked at the University of Miami Law Library as the head of reference services. Prior to her academic library work, she worked for two major law firms as a librarian in their Miami offices. She has an MLS. from Southern Connecticut State University, a JD from the University of Miami, and 30 years of law library experience. She is excited about helping public libraries by connecting them to the legal information they need.
Please read the information below *before* purchasing registration for this webinar.
Webinar Includes
- Live webinar
- On-Demand access to recording
- Slides and handouts
Target Audience
- Library Directors
- Library Trustees / Library Board Members
- Library Staff who work with Trustees, Friends, and/or Foundations
- Students
How It Works
- All registration and participation is per person; there is no group viewing or group registration option.
- Base price is $79 per person. Membership‐related discount is based on the membership status of the person purchasing the seat(s):
- ALA personal members receive a 10% discount
- United for Libraries personal members receive a 35% discount.
- Bulk purchase discounts apply for purchases of multiple seats (3‐6 seats extra 30% off; 7‐12 seats extra 35% off; 13+ seats extra 40% off).
- Purchaser receives one “sign‐up code” per seat purchased and distributes sign‐up code(s) to individuals, who then redeem the sign‐up code to complete their registration.
Before You Register
Residents of MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, VA
- Do not purchase registration for this course.
- Your state library provides FREE registration to attend the live webinar and access the on-demand video for the duration of the statewide partnership.
- Please register for statewide access or complete the alternate registration form.
- If you have questions, please contact united@ala.org.
United for Libraries Personal Members
- Make sure you are logged in with the account associated with your personal membership to ensure the 35% discount applies.
- All registration and participation is per person; there is no group viewing option.
- You may purchase individual seats for your library director and Trustees/library board members.
- You will receive 35% off all individuals seats purchased. Additional discounts apply as follows:
- 3-6 seats: additional 30% off per seat
- 7-12 seats: additional 35% off per seat
- 13+ seats: additional 40% off per seat
Tech Requirements
The live webinar will be held in Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. Text-based chat is available, and attendees will use the Q&A panel to submit questions to the presenter. Speakers will answer questions as time allows. The webinar will be recorded and accessible within 72 hours of the live session.
Contact
If you have a question or need to make arrangements for additional assistance or accessibility, please contact Jillian Wentworth (jwentworth@ala.org).