Accessibility meeting for Colfax Public Library scheduled for May 13
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — A meeting to discuss how accessibility for people with disabilities can be improved at the Colfax Public Library is scheduled for May 13 at the Grapevine Senior Center on Main Street in Colfax.
The Colfax library has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the American Library Association to install an automated door and to improve the ramp on the south side of the Colfax Municipal Building, said Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt, director of the Colfax Public Library, during a video posted on Facebook April 25.
The grant requires input from area residents about improving accessibility and requires library personnel to be pro-active and to include people with disabilities in the discussions, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
The questions is — how do we know that what we want to do to improve accessibility is actually going to be helpful if we do not ask the people who would benefit from the improvements? said Jolene Albricht, youth services librarian.
Large minority
As part of the grant award, Bragg-Hurlburt was required to attend several classes to help guide her through the process of holding discussions about accessibility.
One of the facts that Bragg-Hurlburt said she has learned is that people with disabilities are the single largest minority group in the world.
And it is a minority group that anyone could join at any time, she said.
It only takes one accident or one serious health issue, and someone can end up disabled, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
Not all disabilities are obvious to someone else, Albricht noted.
Bragg-Hurlburt said she also learned that it is “okay to say disabled” because using the word disabled lets people with disabilities know that they have rights.
Rural disabilities
Disabilities seem to disproportionately affect people living in rural areas.
One in three adults in rural communities live with a disability, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
One in 12 adults in rural commutes have three or more disabilities, she said.
Are there higher rates of disabilities in rural areas than in urban areas? Albricht asked.
“Yes,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
People’s health has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The population also is living longer because of medical advances, and rural populations are aging, she said.
Do children in rural areas have higher rates of disabilities, too? Albricht asked.
“Yes,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
Children in rural areas are more likely to have developmental and mental health issues and are less likely to receive support, services or treatment, she said.
And that means support, services and treatment are more important than ever, Albricht said.
It is especially important for the library to be accessible to the whole community, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
The library can provide information, community resources and a positive atmosphere that can benefit everyone who lives in Colfax and the surrounding community, she said.
May 13
The meeting at the Grapevine Senior Center on Monday, May 13, is set for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“We encourage everyone who can make it to come and be part of the discussion,” Bragg-Hurlburt said,
There will be snacks and coffee available as well to help make the meeting more relaxed and comfortable, she said.
Bragg-Hurlburt said she will be accepting feedback in whatever form it takes, whether it is a telephone call, an e-mail message or a conversation.
If there is a demand for another meeting, then Bragg-Hurlburt said she would respond to that demand.
“We have a chance to do something great with this $10,000, so let’s make the most of the opportunity and improves things for people,” she said.
When access is improved for people in wheelchairs and with walkers, access will be improved for everyone, Albricht said.
An automated door also will help parents with strollers, people carrying book bags and the courier for the library, she said.
When the Colfax Public Library de-cluttered and did some rearranging so there is more space for wheelchairs, everyone using the library got more space, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
The library has become a more comfortable place, so now people stay longer, she said.
For more information about the accessibility meeting on Monday, May 13, you can contact the Colfax Public Library at 715-962-4334.
You can also e-mail Bragg-Hurlburt — hurlburt@colfaxpubliclibrary.org.
