Accessibility

This session will cover how everyday technology is used by underprivileged groups, and what accessibility barriers are faced. You will learn how marginalized people use technology daily, how every day occurrences can impede usage, and useful tips on how to improve access to technology and programs for those most in need. Special attention will be paid to disability rights, with a focus on how libraries can make Assistive more Accessible. 

Public libraries are built on the idea of providing society-at-large with communal access to information. As information containers have expanded and evolved beyond the codex, libraries experiment with access strategies, loaning non-traditional items, and expanding their definition of “access.” EPL undertook one such experiment in 2016: loaning the internet! EPL acquired 40 hotspots with unlimited data connections and developed a 2-year pilot aimed at loaning devices to customers without home internet or who are socio-economically disadvantaged. This presentation will outline similar hotspot loaning projects that inspired EPL’s approach, the ins and outs of how the service operated in its first phase, the successes and setbacks of the initial pilot, and the adjustments made for the second pilot phase. 

Innovation thrives on a digitally literate population with access to powerful computing tools. Data consumption is becoming more pervasive as everything becomes digitized and all levels of government are making a push for open data. However, access to tools is not evenly distributed, and the digital divide is growing deeper between those that have the means to use the tools and data and those that done. In our presentation, we will discuss how free and open tools are being used in Alberta and around the world to participate in the digital economy and increase digital literacy. We will highlight Jupyter, an open source analytics tool combining live code, visualizations, and text in an entirely web-accessible format.

Alternate title: "As many ways to read a book as we can get through in an hour."
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Since a lot of the content was discussed rather than described in slides, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@nnels.ca if you have any questions. 
Thank you!