Accessible Library Instruction in Practice

Disability is a reality in the library instruction classroom, yet despite ratification of the American Library Association (ALA) policy on people with disabilities, librarians seldom take part in discourse about restructuring library instruction to ensure it is inclusive and accessible. This essay discusses the imperative to serve students with disabilities. It also explores how Universal Design for Learning in the library instruction classroom can facilitate multiple forms of representation, expression, and engagement. Importantly, this conversation attempts to center disability within the classroom and to acknowledge the injustices of accommodation and retrofitting for learners with nonstandard abilities.