Outreach toolkit - community outreach

Organizations and venues for outreach

We have compiled a list of some organizations public libraries may wish to work with when reaching out to people with print disabilities. We hope it's a useful starting point, but it's definitely not exhaustive! You know your community, and can determine which organizations are active in your area.

211.ca is an online directory of community services available in many provinces. Use it to find organizations working with people with print disabilities in your own community. Tip: try searching the term "disability" in your area to find local disability organizations.

Examples of collaborations between libraries and organizations include meeting to exchange information about services, participating in one another's events or programs, providing articles for newsletters, and sharing promotional materials. 

Please note that the links provided below are to external websites.

General disability and health-related organizations

  • Councils for persons with disabilities, or other organizations for people with any type of disability
  • Home care agencies
  • Meals on Wheels or similar services
  • March of Dimes
  • Community Living
  • Rehabilitation hospitals

Blindness and vision-loss related organizations

Physical disability-related organizations

Organizations for people with learning disabilities or other disabilities relating to comprehension

Organizations for Seniors

  • Retirement homes and long-term care homes
  • Seniors associations, centres and clubs
  • Seniors centre without walls (telephone-based senior's discussion groups)
  • CARP chapters

Education-related

  • Local schools, especially teacher librarians and special education staff
  • Special education advisory committees at the school board/district level
  • Accessibility, special education or disability-focused events and information fairs hosted by schools
  • Organizations and clubs for students with disabilities at post-secondary level
  • National Education Association for Disabled Students (NEADS)

Community contact tools and ideas

These templates are intended to help you reach out to community organizations and educators who work with or represent people with print disabilities. 

 

Other ideas for reaching people with print disabilities

Community-led libraries

The community-led library approach suggests that libraries can develop services and policies with the participation or leadership of people in their community. It is especially intended to reduce barriers to using public libraries for people who may be more likely to experience social exclusion.