Tennessee Library Expands Services to enhance the existing website by embedding ASL/captioned instructional videos for each interactive element…

By Kodi Ogle, Tennessee H&V

Thanks to a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Library Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (LSDHH) in Nashville will be expanding their website to serve all fifty states. LSDHH serves the Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind communities, their families (children and adults), sign language interpreters, teachers, students, researchers, and scholars. The library also serves the general public by ensuring that the history and culture of the Deaf community in the United States is preserved alongside the culture of the hearing community and other underserved communities. These services are now only available for Tennesseans, but with this project, LSDHH can serve Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing people who lack knowledge of resources available in their states through a website capable ofaccess from all fifty states.

Tennessee Library Services Website Expands

To meet the need across the nation, and the demand from families and the Deaf Community across the country, LSDHH can build upon the existing website which already serves this need in Tennessee and build capacity to serve the broader national audience with these same resources for this same need. This project will build capacity for other states’ libraries to reach this marginalized population, create access to resources, and create lifelong learners from a community in need.

The goal of this project is to:

1. Provide a free, accessible, relevant, national portal for resources on hearing loss in each state via an interactive national map hosted on the LSDHH website.
2. Collaborate with Deaf Community members and organizations who will solicit sites to include from their state and identify at least one library from each state who will maintain the state’s page once the grant-funded period is complete.

This project will build upon the existing website by re-theming/redesigning parts of the site to include an interactive national map of the U.S., including integration of national resources, in a static format. A webpage for each state will be created as a sub-site of the LSDHH website with a unique URL.

Often organizations serving the Deaf Community work in silos. They may not communicate with each other, or they may work in opposition because of different ideologies concerning modes of communication like oral communication or sign language. Libraries as neutral institutions are perfectly positioned as community catalysts, uniting the silos into a network of civic and cultural engagement. By creating a national website that focuses on the common issues to be addressed – language acquisition, literacy, abuse and employment – providing access to resources, the silos can unite to address those issues. Fortunately, the internet knows no borders and can provide resources to remote corners of the U.S. without bias.

Also, the plan is to enhance the existing website by embedding ASL/captioned instructional videos for each interactive element, creating visual directives (instead of verbal) for the low- language users. It will serve as a national model for website accessibility for people who are Deaf.  The website will also have elements to assist the low-vision users.

For this project to be successful, we need your help. How can you help?

• Be our state representative for the project.
• Recommend an organization that could be a great partner for this.
• Share resources that have been effective for you.
• Share the word about this resource once it is up and running.

This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [LG-250047-OLS-21]. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, policy development. Their vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  ~

H&V Communicator – Fall 2021