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G2S Project Code: 2019-CA-83240
State: California
Fiscal Year: 2019

Grantee
MISSION VIEJO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Genesis Hansen
Director Phone: 949-470-3076
Director Email: ghansen@cityofmissionviejo.org

General Information
Title: Beyond Access: Inclusive Programs at Mission Viejo Library
State Project Code: 40-8953
Start Date: 07/01/2019
End Date: 08/31/2020
Abstract: The Beyond Access project conducted a needs assessment of and with the disabled community in the Mission Viejo service area and provided pertinent training for library staff in order to develop inclusive programs and services now and in the future. The goal of this project was to identify the needs of the disabled community and equip library staff to make library and City services more inclusive and accessible in accordance with those identified needs; thereby, improving the ability of the disabled community members to participate in the exceptional programs offered in Mission Viejo. Although the initial proposal focused on piloting changes to Library programs within the grant period as well as long-term planning, this was impossible because all in-person City programs were cancelled due to the pandemic. Alternative recommendations from the needs assessment that could be addressed during the grant period were identified and implemented; a full report of additional recommendations was created and will be incorporated into future planning.

State Goal: Goal 1: Equitable Access

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$32,885.00

$0.00

$13,795.00

$46,680.00

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.
Library Infrastructure & Capacity
Programming & Event Planning

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Instruction - Spill the Disabili-Tea Staff Training
Narrative:

This staff sensitivity training was an interactive workshop conducted by Alex Locust. Mr. Locust conducted the same 3-hour workshop on two consecutive days in order to maximize staff attendance. He provided an overview of disability issues and disability justice and created interactive discussions designed to help staff feel more aware of issues surrounding disability, more comfortable talking about disability, and more confident in their ability to serve the disability community. Topics covered included:

-Who is "disabled" and what creates that experience?

-What is "disability justice"?

-What's the "right way" to interact with people with disabilities?

-How do I do better about those tricky "microaggressions"?

-What's the difference between "access" and "inclusion"?

-Is disability a cultural experience and how can that intersect with other cultural identities?

-How can I integrate these skills in the workplace and community?
Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 180
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 24
Number of times program administered: 2

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: MISSION VIEJO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 100 CIVIC CENTER
City: MISSION VIEJO
State: CA
Zip: 92691
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 15
Agree: 19
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 2
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 5
Agree: 20
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 6
Disagree: 2
Strongly Disagree: 4
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 10
Agree: 17
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 6
Disagree: 3
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: Applying what I learned will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 9
Agree: 18
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 6
Disagree: 2
Strongly Disagree: 2
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: Masks and ADA Staff Training
Narrative:

This one-hour webinar was conducted by autism and disability advocate Shannon Rosa. In preparation for reopening the Library, staff requested training on enforcing the mask mandate in cases of disability and how to best accommodate patrons with disabilities. The training covered the following topics:

-Why some people can't wear masks

-What the ADA says about masks and accommodations

-Options for accommodating people who can't wear masks

-Staff questions
Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 60
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 20
Number of times program administered: 1

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: MISSION VIEJO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 100 CIVIC CENTER
City: MISSION VIEJO
State: CA
Zip: 92691
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 3
Agree: 16
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 1
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 3
Agree: 15
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 2
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 6
Agree: 13
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 1
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: Applying what I learned will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 4
Agree: 15
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 1
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: Content Acquisition: e-books and audio by writers with disabilities
Narrative: In response to a recommendation from the needs assessment ("purchase new content about disability; new books in large-text, audio, and accessible formats"), the Library purchased 32 new books about disability and/or featuring characters with disabilities, in accessible ebook and audio formats. All new content added meets the "own voices" designation; i.e. they are all written by people with disabilities. The titles are all published within the last two years, and are a mix of fiction and nonfiction including materials for children, teens, and adults. Titles were selected to provide and up-to-date depiction of or information about disability issues and culture to the general population.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 32

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: MISSION VIEJO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 100 CIVIC CENTER
City: MISSION VIEJO
State: CA
Zip: 92691

Activity Details
Title: Disability Needs Assessment
Narrative: In order to determine how the Mission Viejo Library can better serve the needs of the disability community, the Library hired consultant Alice Wong of Disability Visibility Inc. to conduct a needs assessment process in partnership with local agencies serving the target population, including Vocational Visions and the Dayle McIntosh Center.

Assessment methodology included an online survey of the local community, marketed and promoted by the Library and partner organizations; an in-person community conversation hosted by Vocational Visions; and multiple key informant interviews. Due to the challenges of scheduling additional community conversations during the pandemic, additional key information interviews were substituted, bringing the total to 11 instead of the 6 to8 interviews originally planned.

The consultant produced the planned recommendations for short-term implementation, although due to the pandemic the focus of those recommendations shifted from programming to other areas of accessibility and service. The consultant also produced a full report to be used in immediate and future planning and budgeting. In addition, because so much data was collected that was generally applicable to the library profession outside of the Mission Viejo service area, the consultant worked with the Library to compile a supplemental document of relevant quotes and recommendations for ease of use by other organizations.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Planning & Evaluation
Mode: Prospective
Format: Third party

Quantity
Number of evaluations and/or plans funded: 1
Number of funded evaluation and/or plans completed: 1

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Suburban
For what age groups: All Ages
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: Yes
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Dayle McIntosh Center, South OC Office
Address: 26041 El Toro Road, Suite 320
City: Laguna Hills
State: CA
Zip: 92653
Name: MISSION VIEJO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 100 CIVIC CENTER
City: MISSION VIEJO
State: CA
Zip: 92691

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
A full list of findings is included in the final needs assessment report. One of the most frequent pieces of feedback received from the needs assessment related to parking and parking lot safety. The Library received multiple suggestions for how to make the parking lot safer and more welcoming, including more parking spaces for disabled patrons and clearer marking of crosswalks and paths of travel in the parking lot. These recommendations will be brought to the City's Public Services Department for future project planning. Another key recommendation is the inclusion of members of the disability community in City and Library planning processes, and ongoing training for staff to create a culture that is welcoming to people with disabilities. As a result the Library has approached partner organizations to assist with future staff training as well as recruiting and developing a pilot advisory group that could be expanded to serve other City departments in the future. Outcomes: The Library has already been able to change processes and behavior of staff in a few small but significant ways as recommended by the assessment, for example: -purchased new content about disability in accessible formats; -incorporated visual communication with d/Deaf patrons (flashing lights to notify the library is closing) into plans for library re-opening; -incorporated information about accommodations into publicity for the Library appointments (the Library re-opened to the public by appointment in October). -piloted new reservation software for appointments when the library reopens which allows patrons to make changes to their reservations without staff assistance; when pilot is complete it will likely be used for other applications such as study room bookings and passports.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
The needs assessment identified multiple ways that the Library can make our services more inclusive. A number of them will require long-term planning and budget commitment, such as the parking lot suggestions listed above or requests for a gender-neutral accessible restroom and assistive technology which the Library does not currently have. However, the assessment also identified numerous short- and mid-term recommendations that can be addressed with the existing library staffing and budget. Continued staff training and engagement with the disability community are significant areas of opportunity that can help the Mission Viejo Library grow and improve in the area of inclusion on an ongoing basis. Although the Library did not fully capitalize on the partnerships developed for this grant due to COVID-19, the grant allowed the Library to lay foundations for these partnerships to continue after the end of the project. For example, the Dayle McIntosh Center indicated that they would be happy to help with staff training needs and offer some training at little to no cost. Developing an advisory group of people within the disability community will help substantially as the Library implements many of the recommendations; for example, survey respondents highlighted the need for more assistive technology but did not provide much in the way of specifics. An advisory group can help to identify and prioritize the needs in more detail so that the Library staff can plan the best use of budget and resources.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
The number one recommendation for other organizations would be to incorporate local partner organizations or members of the disability community and underserved communities from the beginning of the project into the design and planning of the needs assessment and marketing. Mission Viejo Library did not see the level of participation we anticipated, particularly from the survey. Working with the local organizations ahead of time to determine how best to reach their clients and constituents and designing a marketing plan around that input, rather than giving them our marketing materials and asking them to promote, might have resulted in broader reach. Having said that, the quality of feedback received was high. There was enough overlap in the responses received to identify the biggest problem areas, and there was enough variety in the responses to provide a range of opportunities for the Library to address, including a number that should be relatively easy and/or inexpensive to implement.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
Yes
Explain:
Although the initial needs assessment has been completed it identified areas for further exploration, as well as a number of recommendations for improvements to programs and services. As the library moves through the stages of re-opening and hourly staff return to work, there will opportunities for delegation and incorporating these recommendations into existing staff duties to distribute the responsibility to a larger number of staff.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
Yes
Explain:
Although the Library will shift more towards implementation than assessment, an advisory group made up of representatives from the disability community will be convened to advise on implementation and also to identify areas where further assessment is needed. However, the goal to improve disabled users' ability to participate in their community will remain consistent going forward.
Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: Civic engagement, ADA