Spread the Word to End the Word

Spread the Word to End the Word is a campaign that I promote every year because it is so important to me.  My parents are both professors of Adapted Physical Activity, teaching students going into majors such as physical education, special education, therapeutic recreation, among others how to adapt physical activity programs for people with disabilities of all kinds.  I grew up working with and volunteering for programs for children and adults with disabilities and this work still inspires me today.  To me, using the r-word is lazy, ignorant, and unkind.  People with disabilities should be treated with the same respect that everyone else deserves and by using the r-word in any form whether it be describing people with intellectual disabilities or using it to describe something stupid, it still shows a lack of respect for an entire group of people.

(After climbing down from my soapbox) Libraries, especially public libraries, were created to provide resources, programs, and information for all people in a community (this includes people with disabilities).  Librarians need to be educated in helping people with disabilities and need to be ready to adapt programs, find relevant information, and entertainment resources for people in whatever form works best for them.

The Library of Congress provides a number of resources including Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (doesn’t necessarily help those with intellectual disabilities), but does help with books in Braille as well as books on CD.  There are a number of blog entries out there for creating a sensory story time that can include children with disabilities, especially those on the Autism Spectrum.  Librarians must market the library to this underserved group of people and be ready to help them with a smile.  It’s our job as part of our community service profession.

For more information about Spread the Word to End the Word, check out the website.  If you’re looking for more information about the Library of Congress’s National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, check here.  Finally, for a great blog post on Association of Library SErvices to Children (ALSC) about sensory story time, click here.