Accessibility Advisory Board / 16 May 2025

Present: Ben Kalish, Lisa Downing, Barbara Black, Mary Jo Standley, Johanna Ruth

Announcements / updates

Stipend for meeting attendees

A $40 stipend is available for meeting attendees. This is to help cover the cost of missed work, travel to the meeting, childcare, etc. Fill out an I-9 with the library to receive this stipend. Let Ben know by email at bkalish@forbeslibrary.org or accessibility@forbeslibrary.org

Bathroom work finished

The bathroom work is complete! The ventilation and the push button door openers are working as they should at this point.

Outdoor stage work underway

This project has just started. This will allow for more outdoor programming. Ben would like feedback about how to make the use of the stage as accessible as possible. He said that we can use the portable system that we loan out in conjunction with the sound system. The library will add a dedicated audio-visual system and  a policy for the community use of the stage.

Coolidge Museum redesign discussion

A designer has been hired and planning has begun. We want to be sure accessibility is considered at all stages.

Doors within the exhibits

Some exhibits will be housed in closed containers to protect them from light exposure, with doors that can be opened to view the contents. How should the doors open and close? How will people know how they can be opened?
The current plan is to use push-to-open latches and a sign encouraging folks to “push to open”.

Table exhibit space

The current design includes a replica cabinet table with exhibits for each member of the cabinet. We want to consider the placement of chairs and the arrangement of the exhibit material from the perspective of accessibility.

  1. How many chairs? We agreed there should be some empty spaces without chairs
  2. Chairs should be easy to move; some with arms and some without
  3. Does the exhibit need its own chairs? Folks spending time looking at the more detailed aspects of the exhibit might want to sit down, but some suggested that folks could just use the charis from the front of the room

Accessibility of signs and labels

  1. An audio tour of the exhibit would most likely be available with a mobile device, though we also discussed the possibility of having push buttons to play recordings
  2. Braille can be added to the reader rails 
  3. All text should be in large print with good contrast
  4. Large print versions of all handouts should be available

Room suggestions/concerns

  1. Rugs can be a tripping hazard. The current rugs serve to control the acoustics. The redesign calls for acoustical panels so the rugs should be unnecessary.
  2. New materials may off gas, creating a problem for those with chemical sensitivities. The library is committed to choosing safe building materials.
  3. Acoustical panels hung from ceiling if necessary
  4. Will it be hard to navigate with all the angled reader rails and the exhibits? Is there enough clearance for folks using mobility devices?

Outdoor programs discussion

The outdoor state will be a great place for children’s programming

It would be great to have audio-described performances. When choosing the audio system the library should make sure that it is easy to send the description to the assistive listening system without necessarily having it go to the loudspeakers.