At the CAL Conference last month, I attended a workshop on some of the best projects to which LSTA awarded special grants. One of the projects was done by the Pueblo City/County Library as it added some assistive technologies for people with disabilites to better use the library services. I also checked out some of the services available for people with disabilities at the Denver Public Library at this link http://denverlibrary.org/about/disabilities.html
An online handout about the Pueblo City/County Library's project is available at http://www.cal-webs.org/handouts08/diverse.pdf
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ALD did have a computer with some of this type of assistive technology (JAWS, Open Book) as well as a magnifier CCV unit at Koelbel a few years ago, but the system was never publicized so it wasn't used. Like many programs/services, the "build it and they will come" philosophy doesn't work unless you tell the public about it. Pueblo & DPL have made an effort to promote the available technologies - I couldn't find anything about assistive technology on the Pueblo library website so I guess they must only use the flyer, but a search of their site showed that they had an "Accessibility Awareness Day" to demonstrate the technology: http://www.pueblolibrary.org/pld_pdf/awarenessday.pdf
Another issue, as I recall, was about staff training on the technology and the amount of "help" that staff could be expected to give a patron needing the technology. DPL doesn't seem to address that issue but the Pueblo flyer says that orientation sessions are available by appointment.
Andrew R.
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