1. Accessibility at Regent’s University
(or learning to love the workaround)
Susan Hastie
Student Support Librarian

2. 2
Student Support Librarian
• Contact publishers for PDFs
• Accessibility software
• Adapt resources
• One-to-ones with students
• Blackboard
• Various forms of training

3. 3
Regent’s University London
• Two campuses – around 4,500 students
• Many international, so little DSA eligbility
• Around 5% have a support agreement
• Mixture of full-time and part-time students
across seven schools

4. 4
Visible and Invisible Disabilities
• Student Support Agreements cover both
• Most provision is for students with visible
disabilities
• Different study areas, counselling, study
skills provide some support for invisible
disabilities

5. 5
Park Campus
• Slightly more accessible – 70% of the campus
• Lifts and chair lifts, accessible toilets
• Off-road parking
• Not great for public transport
• Wheelchair users often have to go the very long
way round
• Heavy doors, tiny stairs, narrow corridors …

6. 6
Marylebone Campus
• Buildings are distant from each other
• Less provision of lifts and accessible toilets
• No off-road parking
• Not great for public transport
• Yet more tiny stairs …

7. 7
So, what did we do ?
• Made accessibility a priority with the new
library floor
• Pushed Blackboard
• Trained staff

8. 8

9. 9

10. 10

11. 11

12. 12

13. 13

14. 14
Staff Training
• New library staff meet with the Student
Support Librarian
• ‘Respect for All’ workshops
• Training from Disabilities Officer and Student
Support

15. 15
That’s great …
But what else can you do ?
• Physical space restraints
• Financial restraints
• Time restraints

16. 16
Social model of disability
‘Disability is caused by the way society is
organised, rather than by a person’s
impairment or difference’
(Scope, 2015)

17. 17
“It didn’t just speak about the theatre – it was
about everything like, “You don’t have the
right to be in public space in the same way as
anyone else – your experiences can only
happen if they don’t impact
on other people’s.”
(Thom, 2015)

18. 18
Spoon Theory
(Miserandino, 2010)

19. 19
Alternatively …

20. 20
Learning to love the workaround
• Speed
• Individualisation
• Repetition
• Variation

21. 21
Smart Devices
• Inbuilt accessibility functions
• Apps !
• Cross-over with web versions
• Keyboards

22. 22
DropBox
• Transfer of large files e.g. PDFs from
publishers
• Accessible from multiple devices
• Track downloads – invites

23. 23
Chrome
• Many accessibility plug-ins
• Plug-ins and bookmarks can be accessed
from any computer

24. 24
Kindles
• High contrast
• Maintain a charge
• Easy to operate
• Audio options

25. 25
Thank you for listening
hasties@regents.ac.uk

26. 26
Scope (2015). The social model of disability.
Available at: http://www.scope.org.uk/about-
us/our-brand/social-model-of-disability (Accessed
11 May 2015).
Thom, J (2015). Six Steps to Inclusion. Available at:
http://spiderwebshow.ca/article/six-steps-to-
inclusion (Accessed 18 April 2015).
Miserandino, C (2010). The Spoon Theory. Available
at:http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/w
ritten-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/ (Accessed 22
April 2015).

27. 27
Regent’s University London (2014) Front entrance to park campus.
Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/regentscollegelondon/14893977856/i
n/album-72157644254843470/ (Downloaded: 4 May 2015).
Regent’s University London (2014) Student Refectory. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/regentscollegelondon/14204099613/i
n/album-72157644254843470/ (Downloaded: 4 May 2015).
Regent’s University London (2014) Tuke Building. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/regentscollegelondon/13997331710/i
n/album-72157644254843470/ (Downloaded: 4 May 2015).
Regent’s University London (2014) Marylebone High Street building
for fashion and design. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/regentscollegelondon/14730301849/i
n/album-72157644254843470/ (Downloaded: 4 May 2015).

28. 28
Gilliland, C (2013). Chisinau to Odessa train arriving Bender Transnistria. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26781577@N07/13384981644 (Downloaded 27 April 2015)
Born, H (2010). A different angle. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/58513000@N00/4873015858 (Downloaded 26 April 2015)
Chatterjee, A (2012). disability. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/anjan58/7272291392
(Downloaded 18 April 2015)
Moore, H (2008). all spoons. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8250462@N07/2178542864
(Downloaded 6 May 2015)
Westpark (2009). [15:26] gratwanderung. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/west-
park/3414758732 (Downloaded 8 May 2015)
Bloomfield, D (2011). Love in Scottsdale Civic Plaza. Available
at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/athomeinscottsdale/5757816075 (Downloaded 4 May 2015)
Miniyo73 (2012). portatil-tablet-smartphone. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miniyo73/8371683905 (Downloaded 22 April 2015)
Foss, P (2012). dropbox-hand. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tyotoys/7329386786
(Downloaded 7 April 2015)
Shankland, S (2012). Chrome lapel pin. Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shankrad/6996250771 (Downloaded 8 May 2015)
Zhao ! (2010) Kindle 3. Available at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/kodomut/5145995754
(Downloaded 7 May 2015)