The Electronic Resources (ER) Librarian and Patrons with Disabilities

Abstract

SUMMARY The Electronic Resource (ER) librarian must be familiar with Web technology. Central to the electronic resource position is access. A critical aspect of ensuring access is providing access to users with disabilities. Laws requiring accessible resources and libraries are briefly discussed. Guidelines for accessible Web pages are discussed in detail, as are the elements that comprise accessible Web page design. Studies reviewing the general accessibility of Web resources in higher education, Web pages of college and university libraries, and the Web pages of library schools indicate that approximately 50% are accessible. A study at Oregon State University indicated that 95% of all subscription databases were accessible in 2002 whereas in 1995, 95% were inaccessible. Assistive technologies and additional resources to help ER Librarians better serve users with disabilities are identified.