Assistive Technology and Libraries: Other Forms
By Lisa Aguilar
There are many types of assistive technology available for patrons of the library, and although screen readers and magnifiers are well known, there are lower cost ways to assist patrons with disabilities in using library materials. Three such ways are described in an article written by Cathy L. Galyon, Kim K. Floyd, and Colleen Wood-Fields published in Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children titled “Access for All: Adapted Literacy Through Low-Tech Assistive Technology”. In this article, the authors describe a situation where a small town librarian has to navigate having three disabled children be disinterested in reading and engaging in literacy due to the fact that she has no money for more expensive assistive technology. The authors go on to provide 3 solutions that could help these three children, namely digital books (PowerPoint made presentations with animations and sounds), tongue depressors to turn pages (for a child with cerebral palsy), and “squishy books”, which are Ziplock bags filled with sensory objects and short excerpts from a book per page (Galyon et al.). The authors refer to these forms of assistive technology as adapting the books, and they are effective methods that will not cost an arm and a leg that can help children use a library.
Works Cited
Sarasota County Government (Official). “Sarasota County Libraries’ Assistive Technology Equipment.” YouTube, 12 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmjaiA4Qawk. Accessed 13 May 2025.
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Below is a video showcasing more well known forms of Assistive Technology at the Sarasota County Library in Florida:
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