Cadott Library grant brings accessibility issues to light

The Cadott Community Library is one of more than 300 small and rural libraries to receive a community engagement grant from the American Library Association (ALA), as announced April 15.

The $3,000 grant enables libraries to lead community engagement efforts on topics like mental health, the COVID- 19 pandemic and the climate crisis. The grants are part of ALA’s longtime commitment to prepare library workers for the expanding role of libraries.

Cadott Community Library director Samma Johnson says Cadott’s community discussion will center around building an accessible community.

“I chose the topic, because I don’t think many people realize just how inaccessible area businesses (not just the library) are and how that affects the community as a whole,” said Johnson.

Johnson says many people told her that Main Street is the heart of Cadott, but would like to challenge the community to think about how many of the buildings have entrances with a step, whether those from outside the community know about alternate entrances, and how many locations have automatic doors.

“Many storefronts in the heart of the community aren’t accessible to, most obviously, wheelchair users,” said Johnson. “It is also difficult to navigate with moderate mobility issues.”

She says solutions such as lift chairs or temporary ramps can sometimes take away the person’s independence, or require special arrangements.

Johnson says she does not have a set date for the community discussion, but hopes to hold it in September or October, with planning for speakers in the works. She says the format of the discussion will depend on COVID numbers at the time, but Johnson says it is likely the event will be hybrid, with in-person seating and a virtual option.

She says the library will also participate in an Accessibility Audit this summer, through the Center for Independent Living, which may play into the community discussion.

“Most of the funds are going to be used to market the discussion,” said Johnson, adding she is planning to send out a mailer, as well as other advertisements.

She says she also plans to use a portion of the grant to purchase incentive gifts for contributing to the discussion, with the remainder used on needed technology upgrades, refreshments and funding a speaker.

Johnson says her hope is that broadening the discussion to include all of Main Street, will help the library move forward with a new building.

“I encourage anyone who is interested in the future of the library, the future of Main Street and the issues around accessibility in the community, to join us,” said Johnson. “I hope it will encourage people to take a hard look at what could be done to make this community an easier place to live, not just for people with disabilities, but for everyone.”