Syracuse University librarian Adina Mulliken and Eve Hill from the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) were instrumental in the recent passage of two resolutions by the American Library Association (ALA). The resolutions, passed during the ALA's annual conference in July, recommend that libraries offer websites that are accessible for users with disabilities and ensure that their technology vendors guarantee accessible products.
Many libraries have not understood their responsibility and authority to insist on accessible technology from their vendors. As a result, some libraries have purchased or licensed electronic databases, e-books, and other resources that are not accessible to people with disabilities. Web accessibility initiatives ensure that online resources are available to all people, including, for example, those with visual impairments or learning disabilities who may use screen readers or other assistive software, people who need multimedia to be captioned or described, and people who use an alternative to a mouse input device.
These resolutions build awareness among libraries about web accessibility laws and standards. Others involved in drafting the resolutions were Mike Marlin, Manager of the California Braille and Talking Book Library; David Vess and Camilla Fulton, both from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Ken Nakata, Director of Disability Initiatives and Government Compliance for BayFirst Solutions LLC.