Advance registration for ASCLA accessibility workshop closing soon

Contact: Liz Markel


Marketing Specialist, RUSA/ASCLA


(312) 280-4398


lmarkel@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


December 1, 2009

CHICAGO—Registration rates will go up after this Friday, Dec. 4, for “Breaking Down Barriers: Best Practices in Universal Design for Libraries,” a half-day workshop sponsored by the
Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) and held in conjunction with the
2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting.




Library directors, trustees, friends and leaders interested in low cost, high impact ways to make a library fully accessible should attend this event, which will cover information and communication accessibility, as well as physical accessibility. Attendees will learn how to incorporate accessible accommodations into strategic planning, as well as building renovation and expansion plans. They’ll also have a chance to present their library’s unique accessibility challenge and receive on-the-spot consultation from expert speakers.




This workshop, made possible through a partnership between ASCLA and the
Institute for Human-Centered Design (ICHD) (formerly Adaptive Environments), will feature speakers from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), the Perkins School’s Braille and Talking Book Library, The Carroll Center, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)




“Breaking Down Barriers” will be held 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the ICHD, located at 200 Portland Street, Suite 1, in Boston. The MBTA’s North Station is only a few blocks away, providing easy access to the Green and Orange lines, as well as several commuter rail lines. Subway, commuter rail and other pertinent transit information and schedules are available at the
MBTA website.




Register for this event now at
www.ala.org/midwinter. Interested participants should note that the institute (event code ASC2) is a separate ticketed event; registration for the Midwinter Meeting is not required in order to attend this event. For institute-only registration using the online form, select “Institute and Ticketed Events Only” as the registration type, and proceed to select this event from the list. Advance registration is $155 for all attendees and ends Dec. 4. On-site registration costs $185 and is available from Dec. 5 to Jan. 8.




IHCD is an international non-profit organization, founded in Boston in 1978, committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages and abilities. IHCD’s work balances expertise in legally required accessibility with promotion of best practices in human-centered or universal design.




ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and multi-type cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed.
View a complete list of ASCLA's 2009 Annual Conference programs and preconferences. Not an ASCLA member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, ASCLA preconferences and other ASCLA events? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at
www.ala.org/membership.