Serving the Underserved

This section is for information on Idaho’s Talking Book Service (TBS), braille materials, access and signage for everyone, and agencies that can increase your library’s capacity to serve the underserved.

  • Information about the Idaho Talking Book Service (TBS) and how to learn more about it.27
  • Do you know how to obtain free braille materials for your library? TBS can help you with that as well. Call 208-334-2150 for more information
  • Your library’s plan to provide access, signage, and appropriate technology for utilizing its catalog and collections in all formats with clear instructions and staff assistance available when necessary for the entire community, including, but not limited to: people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind; people who are blind or have low vision; people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices; people with speech disabilities; people who are autistic; people with psychiatric disabilities or mental illness; people with developmental disabilities; people with learning disabilities; people with traumatic (or acquired) brain injury; people who are short of stature; people with cerebral palsy28; people with Tourette Syndrome29; people who look different30; people with hidden disabilities31; people living with HIV and AIDS32; people who use service animals33. For more information on interacting with all patrons, see:

27 LeAnn Gelskey, Talking Book Program Supervisor: leann.gelskey@libraries.idaho.gov | 208-639-4148

28 Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders, each appearing in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people over time. Symptoms may include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may also be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing, and speaking. Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl, or walk as early as other children of their age. Other symptoms include seizures and problems with thinking or reasoning, which each occur in about one third of people with CP. While symptoms may become more noticeable over the first few years of life, underlying problems do not worsen over time. Cerebral palsy is the most common movement disorder in children. It has been proposed to change the name to “cerebral palsy spectrum disorder” to reflect the diversity of presentations of CP. More information on CP.

29 Tourette Syndrome (TS or simply Tourette’s) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Some common tics are blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. These tics are typically preceded by an unwanted urge or sensation in the affected muscles, can sometimes be suppressed temporarily, and characteristically change in location, strength, and frequency. Tics are often unnoticed by casual observers. Tourette’s is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders. While the exact cause is unknown, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. More information on Tourette Syndrome.

30 Soft skills are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, attitudes, career attributes, social intelligence, and emotional intelligence quotients, among others, that enable people to navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals with complementing hard skills. The Collins English Dictionary defines the term “soft skills” as “desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge: they include common sense, the ability to deal with people, and a positive flexible attitude.” One’s soft skills are an important component of one’s individual contribution to the success of an organization. Organizations that deal with customers face-to-face are generally more successful if they promote activities for staff to develop these skills through conferences, webinars, staff in-service days, and workplace wellness programs.

31 Hidden disabilities (or invisible disabilities) are disabilities that are not immediately apparent. For instance, some people with visual disabilities who do not wear glasses, or who wear contact lenses, may not be obviously disabled. Invisible disabilities include chronic illnesses and conditions that significantly impair normal activities of daily living. In the U.S., 96% of people with chronic medical conditions show no outward signs of their illness, and 10% experience symptoms that are considered disabling. People with invisible disabilities are protected by national and local disability laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Rehabilitation act of 1973 has been revised numerous times such that the definition of “handicapped” includes the statement, “any person who … (C) is regarded as having such an impairment.”

32 The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus that infect humans. Over time they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs. In many parts of the world, including the U.S., HIV has become a chronic condition in which progression to AIDS is increasingly rare.

33 Service animals are working animals that have been trained to perform tasks that assist disabled people. Service animals may also be referred to as assistance animals, assist animals, or helper animals, depending on the animal’s function. Dogs are the most common service animals, assisting people in many different ways. Other animals, such as horses, are allowed per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S. The service animal is not required by the ADA to wear a vest, ID tag, or a specific harness. In places of public accommodation in the U.S., only dogs (and in some cases, miniature horses) are legally considered to be service animals. For legislation concerning the rights of Idahoans with disabilities, see chapter 7, title 56, Idaho Code.

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