NNLM Region 5 webinar outlines practical steps to make libraries more accessible

Carolyn Martin, outreach and education coordinator for the network of the National Library of Medicine Region 5, opened a webinar on accessibility in libraries and introduced presenter JJ Pianchi, who led an hour-long session for librarians and allied staff.

Pianchi framed the talk around a central distinction: “Compliance is the floor,” he said, urging attendees not to treat the Americans with Disabilities Act as the ceiling of good practice but merely the legal baseline. He walked participants through visual audits, behavior mapping, and concrete examples — from counter heights to restroom fixtures — and recommended short checklists and longer guidance documents that attendees could use to start assessments at their own institutions.

The session included audience-supplied photos and live chat feedback; Pianchi recommended Project Enable’s ADA checklist for quick audits and the IFLA guidelines for comprehensive, scenario-based assessments. Carolyn Martin reminded attendees that the session was eligible for Medical Library Association continuing education credit and CHES credit, with evaluation instructions provided in the chat and a recording to be posted afterward.

Attendees used the chat to raise practical questions about staff-space audits, funding leverage, and tactile maps for blind or low-vision users; Pianchi encouraged small, implementable changes and assembling a wish list of improvements to include in grant or donor proposals.