Council Resolution: Task Force to Revise Best Practices on Accessibility

Society of American Archivists

Council Resolution

Honoring

Task Force to Revise Best Practices on Accessibility

WHEREAS in 2017, the Council convened the Task Force to Revise Best Practices on Accessibility to review two standards, Best Practices for Working with Archives Researchers with Physical Disabilities and Best Practices for Working with Employees with Physical Disabilities; and 

WHEREAS this Task Force, co-chaired by Kathy Marquis and Sara White with members Krystal Appiah, Daria D’Arienzo, Alan Lefever, Donna McCrea, Lydia Tang, and Samantha Cook, conducted far-reaching research to learn how to improve archives accessibility based on users' experiences, and current innovative and best practices, and drafted a set of guidelines that incorporated expert, member, and user feedback; and 

WHEREAS this group, working in close consultation with many stakeholders including the SAA Standards Committee, the Reference, Access, and Outreach Section, and the Diversity Committee submitted the Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities, which was approved by the Standards Committee and adopted by the Council in 2019; and

WHEREAS the Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities is a freely available resource that provides a set of core values, best practices, recommendations, and resources to help archivists provide services and spaces that are accessible and inclusive;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the SAA Task Force to Revise Best Practices on Accessibility be honored with a 2020 SAA Council Resolution for its diligence in creating a comprehensive set of guidelines that expands the conversation to include neuro-diversity, temporary physical disabilities, access to digital resources, and the concept of an accessibility spectrum.