Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA ensures people with disabilities equal opportunity for employment and access to transportation, services and public and commercial facilities.

• ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG)
  List of requirements for building accessibility under the ADA.

• ADA Hot Links
  Links to information on a variety of aspects of the ADA.

• Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center
  Offers a wealth of resources for all aspects of the ADA. Staff of the center can also provide assistance via email, US mail and telephone.

• US Department of Justice ADA Home Page
  An extensive list of resources to help comply with ADA

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Vision Impairment

• American Printing House for the Blind
  Source of products for the blind and visually impaired.

• National Federation of the Blind Newsline
  A free dial-in service offering access to more than 200 newspapers nationwide, including the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

• Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
  Offers audio editions of more than 100,000 textbooks and educational titles in a wide variety of subjects. Titles cover all education levels, from Kindergarten to post-graduate.

• Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
  The Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, part of the Talking Book Program of the Library of Congress, provides braille and recorded books and playback equipment for those Wisconsin residents who for any physical reason cannot read normal print.

• Wisconsin Services for Blind and Visually Impaired
  Information and links on services available to the blind and visually impaired. Maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.

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Hearing Impairment

• American Sign Language Browser
  Video of thousands of ASL signs.

• Captioned Media Program
  Provides access to more than 4,000 captioned titles through its Free Loan Media Program and maintains a database of additional captioned media available for purchase. Also serves as a clearinghouse of information on captioning.

• Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program
  Helps people with disabilities purchase equipment necessary for them to use basic telephone services. A program of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.

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Special Needs

• Library Accessibility The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) provides a toolkit, “Library Accessibility –What Trustees Need to Know” that covers access issues including but are not limited to patrons who have cognitive, mental, or emotional illnesses; learning and/or developmental disabilities; physical disabilities; service animals; and patrons needing assistive technologies.

• Adults with Special Needs: A Resource and Planning Guide for Wisconsin’s Public Libraries
  Planning document for developing library services for adults with special needs.

• Family Village
  Information on more than 300 disabilities. Includes a variety of resources for children and adults with disabilities.

• Children with Disabilities and Library Programs
  Bibliography of resources on developing library services for children with disabilities. Created by the Association for Library Service to Children.

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• Public Library Services for Youth with Special Needs: A Plan for Wisconsin
  Planning document for developing library services for youth with special needs.

• Resources for Librarians Serving Teen Parents
  Bibliography of resources on developing library services for teen parents. Created by the Association for Library Service to Children.