Hi there! I’m Celia, the current EDI Student Librarian at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. Each month, I will be publishing a blog post about an EDI issue that is relevant to our community at UBC. I’m so excited to be sharing with you, and I hope you enjoy this first entry!
When you imagine accessible building design, what comes to mind? Do you think about elevators, ramps, and wide walkways that can accommodate mobility aids? What kinds of people do you think of as the target audience for accessibility initiatives?
If you’re like me, the idea of accessibility for neurodivergent people is a bit of a new one. I didn’t grow up incorporating neurodivergence into my conception of what constitutes disability. But just like physically disabled people, neurodivergent people need public spaces that are accessible to them and their needs.
There are a number of environmental factors that can make a space inaccessible for people with Autism, ADHD, PTSD, and other forms of neurodivergence. Bright lights and loud noise can prevent concentration and cause discomfort. A lack of available space to fidget, stretch, and stim can also inhibit productive work sessions. For more information, some key journal articles outline the most common access barriers that neurodivergent people face in public spaces: Black et al. (2022); Kleibrink et al. (2016); Roberson et al. (2022); Svaler (2024).
This issue is the subject of important work being carried out at UBC Libraries this summer. Librarians at Koerner Library and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre are considering changes that can be made to the physical library environment— changes that are guided by emerging research by and for the neurodivergent community.
I learned of Koerner Library’s initiative in February 2024, when librarians Elizabeth Cardoso Fernandes and Emma Cornelius visited my Progressive and Radical Information Work course. Emma and Elizabeth shared their goal to increase the accessibility of Koerner Library for neurodivergent patrons. By rearranging furniture, creating more bookable rooms, and creating a sensory map of the library, they hope to shape the space into one that is more aware of neurodivergent patrons’ needs. Their plan is low-budget and more casual than a formal working group, but it excited me. I was able to contribute by conducting an audit of Koerner spaces. This type of student participation and community discussion inspired me to continue taking action around library accessibility for neurodivergent people.
This summer, I am working with Emma Cornelius to gain an understanding of what UBC library patrons want and need from an accessibility initiative. As part of the Professional Experience program at the UBC iSchool, I plan to design and conduct a series of focus groups for neurodivergent UBC students to take part in. Focus group participants will share what works for them at the library and what doesn’t, and they will have the chance to provide direct input on what they would like to see changed. It is crucial that any accessibility initiative prioritize the wants and needs of the people it is meant to benefit. My goal is to obtain this information so that it may be used to guide decision-making throughout space revamps in the library.
I’m excited to add to the vault of research into libraries and neurodivergence. This is an emerging research area with relatively few publications, but since the 2010s, more and more people have begun to recognize it. Now is the time to research, publish, speak about, and change policies surrounding sensory environments in libraries, so that all of us can enjoy the space comfortably.
If you are a UBC student and consider yourself to be neurodivergent— no diagnostic paperwork required— don’t hesitate to get in touch with me to share your input. I’d love to have you be a part of a focus group, or to participate however works best for you.
Thanks for joining me for my first blog post! I hope you have found it valuable.
Check out the links I’ve curated below for further resources and information:
UBC researchers
- Elizabeth Cardoso Fernandes — Humanities and Social Services Librarian at Koerner Library
- Emma Cornelius — Learning Services Librarian at Chapman Learning Commons
- Celia Hagey (me!) — MLIS student conducting summer 2024 focus groups (contact: celia.hagey@ubc.ca with inquiries)
UBC resources:
- UBC Disability Affinity Group — an advocacy and support resource group for any disabled people associated with UBC
- Disabilities United Collective — an advocacy and support resource group for disabled students at UBC
- https://calendly.com/amssensoryroom2303/book?back=1&month=2024-05 link to book the AMS sensory room in the Nest
- Centre for Accessibility | Student Services The UBC Centre for Accessibility — resource for registering for academic accommodations and connecting with accessibility advisors
Scholarly sources available through the UBC Library:
Black, M. H., McGarry, S., Churchill, L., D’Arcy, E., Dalgleish, J., Nash, I., Jones, A., Tse, T. Y., Gibson, J., Bölte, S., & Girdler, S. (2022). Considerations of the built environment for autistic individuals: A review of the literature. Autism, 26(8), 1904–1915. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221102753
Kleibrink, K. G., Angela Bourne, Michelle Pearson, Mesha. (2016). Designing for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315856872
Roberson, C. A., Barefield, T., & Griffith, E. (2022). Students with disabilities and library services: Blending accommodation and universal design. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 48(4), 102531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102531
Svaler, T. B. (2024). On making libraries and museums more accessible for autistic people. IFLA Journal, 50(1), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352231202516
Non-scholarly sources:
Poletto, C. (2023, February 17). Is Designing for Neurodiversity a Part of Your Practice Yet? Here’s Why It Should Be. Architectural Digest. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/is-designing-for-neurodiversity-a-part-of-your-practice
Slocombe, J. (n.d.). How to design spaces to better meet the needs of neurodivergent groups. Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. Retrieved May 16, 2024, from https://hdsunflower.com/us/insights/post/design-accessible-spaces