2007 Printable Manual - Texas State Library and Archives ...

2007 Texas Reading Club Manual
showing. For a list of titles, or for additional information, please visit www.kidsfirst.org, or
contact Ann Church, Senior Vice President Marketing, via e-mail at ann@kidsfirst.org or by
phone at 505-989-8076.
Serving Children with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public libraries to make reasonable
accommodations for people with disabilities so that they have access to the library building,
programs, and materials. As you plan for the 2006 Texas Reading Club, remember that programs
that work for children with disabilities will also work for all children. With a little planning,
inexpensive adaptations, and the desire to be inclusive of all children, the Texas Reading Club
will be accessible for children with disabilities. In addition to being the law, inclusiveness is
good policy and encourages more participation in library programs.
Check with local schools for sign language interpreters. Check with sign language classes and
invite several students to practice what they have learned. Find out where in your community
you can locate sign language interpreters in case you need to hire someone to interpret a
program. Often interpreters will volunteer their time in order to make library programs inclusive.
Send special invitations to families with deaf children; the deaf community is very appreciative
of efforts to include all children in programs and is very supportive of staff and volunteers who
are willing to try signing. Create a display of captioned videos and books that include sign
language.
The Talking Book Program (TBP), a division of the Texas State Library and Archives
Commission (TSLAC), has a Disability Information and Referral Center (DIRC) that provides
information about adaptive equipment, games and toys, support groups, the ADA, and serving
people with disabilities. Questions are answered by DIRC staff or are referred to other
appropriate sources. The DIRC can be reached toll-free at 1-800-252-9605 or 512-463-5458, or
by e-mail at tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us.
The Talking Book Program is a joint state and federal program that provides unabridged books
in alternate formats for Texans of all ages who are unable to read standard print materials due to
visual, physical, or reading disabilities. The service is free to the user and available to all who
qualify because they are unable to read standard print materials due to temporary or permanent
visual or physical limitations.
A properly certified application must be submitted for each prospective patron verifying that the
application meets one or more of the federal eligibility criteria.
The criteria are:
• Blindness;
• A visual disability of sufficient severity to prevent the reading of standard print without
the use of an aid other than prescription glasses;
• A physical disability that prevents the individual from holding a book or turning a page;
or
• A reading disability that is physically based and of sufficient severity to prevent the
reading of standard print material in a normal manner.
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