Disability Policy

Disability Policy/Plan and Procedure

I. Policy Statement:

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the Disability Plan at the Elsie District Public Library will coordinate the provision of reasonable accommodations, on a case by case basis, for patrons with disabilities.

The Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance, including public libraries.

Section 504 states:

“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 7(20), shall solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. These laws are designed to remove barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing the same educational and employment opportunities as persons without disabilities.

An “individual with a disability” is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or having a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. Disabilities covered by legislation include hearing impairments, learning disabilities, psychiatric disorders, speech impairments, mobility impairments, and visual impairments.

The goal of the Disability Plan is to provide, in a confidential manner, individualized reasonable accommodations in partnership with patrons, faculty, and staff, is to attain a physically and educationally accessible environment that ensures an individual is viewed on the basis of ability, not disability.

II. Goal:

The Disability Plan’s goal is to ensure equality of access and opportunity for patrons with disabilities by providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations and services that will assist the patron. 

III. Procedures:

The process of obtaining reasonable accommodations is an interactive process. It is the responsibility of the patron to initiate the process by self disclosing as an individual with a disability to the staff and requesting reasonable accommodations.

By law, a patron or prospective patron is not required to identify themselves as having a disability, unless requesting accommodations from the library. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to any patron in the Elsie District Public Library.

The Elsie District Public Library will accommodate in the following ways

• Enlarged print (prior notice may be needed)

• Spell checker/calculator, as found on library computers

• Preferential seating

• Audio books from Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic (when available through ILL)

• Handicap Accessible accommodations in the library.

Services of a personal nature are not considered reasonable accommodations and are not provided by Elsie District Public Library. Examples of personal services include but are not limited to tutoring, attendant care, transportation,wheelchairs or wheelchair repair, hearing aids, readers for personal use, computers and software for use at home, individually prescribed devices, prescription eyeglasses, and alternate format material unrelated to normal library loan.

IV. Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information:

The Elsie District Public Library Disability Plan is committed to ensuring that all information regarding a patron is maintained as required by law and confidentiality requirements. 

These Policies and Procedures are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the Elsie District Public Library and its Board.