Focus of content: Inclusive libraries for young children (ages 0-6) with disability and their families

Format: Online course (containing 7 modules with lessons, videos, and other resources)

Length: 5 hours in total (self-paced)

Audience: library staff, early childhood intervention practitioners, council policy makers, families and carers

Organiser: Plumtree

 

Reflection:

The objectives of the Plumtree program was to engage in a comprehensive online training experience with access to videos, evaluation tools and other resources to learn how to make public libraries more welcoming and accessible for families with young children (ages 0-6) with disability or developmental delay. As a mother to a 4 year-old and with previous experience delivering children’s library programs, I was very interested in engaging deeply with this topic, to reflect on my own skills and experiences as well as equip myself with resources and knowledge for my future role as a public librarian. Supporting inclusion for children with disability includes knowing how to more holistically collaborate and interact with their families and caregivers.

Understanding how to support inclusion for this group is to begin with the premise that children want to feel included, valued and encouraged to participate. Access means to provide a wide range of activities, programs and environments for every child by removing barriers and offering multiple ways to promote learning. Firstly, understanding the range of disabilities and types of challenges that face children is integral to addressing and removing barriers. For example, children on the autism spectrum and children with hearing loss may find it hard to follow instructions and remember things and therefore need support such as social stories, pictures, sign language, and other visual and picture-based cues to help them engage. Children with down syndrome may have weaker muscles and require more supportive seats, and children with cerebral palsy may make involuntary movements and require the physical space and emotional safety to move their bodies without judgement. Libraries must also be explicit about the ways their programs accommodate families and children with disability through their website and newsletters.

The library environment must be carefully considered in relation to universal design principles and sensory stimuli, and curated based on research and feedback, and building rapport with families to learn what inclusive measures libraries can implement. These can include dedicated calm sensory zones with sensory toys, children’s areas quickly visible and accessible by being located near an obstacle-free entrance and enabling pram, wheelchair and guide-dog access and a range of disability aids such as eBook readers, software for vision and learning difficulties and induction loop for hearing impairments.

Creating welcoming environments is about building trust and rapport with children and their families, asking them to share their experiences of the library and explicitly celebrating and welcoming CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) and First Nations families. This includes an acknowledgement of country given at the start of gatherings, offering Storytimes in a range of community languages, liaising with a local aboriginal land council or reconciliation group for developing projects, and curating a rich book collection with diverse voices and representation.

The program went through an example of conducting an online Storytime session to give access to families living in remote and regional Australia. These included valuable guidance around how to accommodate diverse communication needs through enhancing non-verbal communication cues such as through facial expression, visual prompts, gestures and toys.

The last leg of the program involved multiple practical strategies to implement for a truly inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for all community members. This included an example of a custom poster with accessible information and depicting an inclusive storytime, risk and hazard management in spaces and materials, and a list of inclusive books and stories, equipment purchases to accommodate a range of sensory profiles such as bodysocks, balance cushions and weighted toys.

I received a certificate upon completion of the program and found it highly practical and accessibly and clearly delivered. I will be able to draw on and revisit the learning, resources and insights gained from this training when I am working in a public library. A lot of the material was geared towards translating into real world practice and environments which gave this training experience a lot of value. Furthermore, reflecting on the ways that I use my body and language expression to make myself accessible to children living with delay or disability is crucial. As the people and relationships that make up the library are central to the process building meaningful trust, rapport and dialogue with these families in the cocreation of inclusive libraries.