Describes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and discusses its implications for both public and private libraries. The term "disability" is defined; sources of federal regulations that pertain to libraries are cited; the need for sign language interpreters is discussed; Braille materials are considered; and staff requirements are…

The deaf and hard of hearing have special problems and information needs which are not well recognized among librarians. Since there are many degrees of impairment the librarian must be aware not only of the differences in hearing impairment but also of the differences in ability to communicate. The deaf use sign language, finger spelling, and…