By Tabitha Schaub-Carter, Branch Librarian
Kent District Library prides itself on being a welcoming place for all, hosting programs for all ages and abilities across our locations. October is both Learning Disabilities Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
October was originally designated as Learning Disabilities Month in 1985 by President Ronald Regan. Learning Disabilities can vary from person to person! Some specific types include Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Executive Function Difficulties, ADHD or a combination of any of those. Our staff have created booklists featuring Learning Disabilities for children as well as for teens because representation matters while reading.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of NDEAM, which is an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce. This year’s official theme is “Celebrating Value & Talents”. If you are interested in learning more about disability in the workplace or potentially seeking guidance, please check out our curated booklist.
KDL gladly offers our Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) for people of all ages that reside in Kent, Montcalm, or Ionia counties who are unable to read standard print due to a visual, physical or reading disability. The TBBC is located at the KDL Service center along with our Adaptive Technology Lab which features a wide range of assistive technologies that support independence, accessibility, and inclusion for patrons with visual, physical and learning disabilities. For more information, you can visit kdl.org/tbbc/ or call us at 616.784.2007.
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