Digital Inclusion, Disability, and Public Libraries: A Summary Australian Perspective

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter looks at Australian public libraries and how they have developed and delivered inclusive service to people with disabilities over the past decade or so. As digital technology impacts the public library sector the question of “how are libraries responding?” emerges, especially for the one in five Australians living with disabilities. This chapter is focused on how the public library network is delivering digitally inclusive services to people with disabilities.

Methodology/approach

The approach was to examine the international obligations, related governance, and professional standards that apply to Australian Public libraries; the current disability and digital inclusion related research from the past decade; and highlight some of the better examples of practice in Australian public library service.

Findings

This chapter is not a comprehensive examination but rather a summary scan of digital inclusion practice. However, it raises a number of questions for further investigation: research as to how these obligations are put into practice; how they can be better shared and learnt from; and more importantly how the aspiration of “inclusion for all” is being met.

Citation

Fitzgerald, B., Hawkins, W., Denison, T. and Kop, T. (2015), "Digital Inclusion, Disability, and Public Libraries: A Summary Australian Perspective", Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and the Inclusive Future of Libraries (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 40), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 213-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020150000040019