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

Canadian Council of the Blind
Alliance for the Equality of Blind Canadians
Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Québec
Canadian Deafblind Association
CNIB Foundation
Vision rehabilitation service providers such as Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (CNIB) and Balance for Blind Adults
Local optometrists

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.

Best practices flyer (Word) with ideas for outreach and accessible service delivery from public libraries
Media release template (Word) announcing CELA service from your library
Letter or email to local schools (Word) introducing CELA services
Slides about CELA for presentations in the community (Powerpoint)

Other ideas for reaching people with print disabilities

Ask about or offer accessible services as part of every new patron registration
Guidelines on library and information services for people with disabilities from the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (external link)

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.

CLA Community-led library service network
Edmonton Public Library Community-led service philosophy (external link)

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