Jane Vincent (www.janevincent.com), like many people, remembers "learning" about disability from the movies. Miracle Worker, Children of a Lesser God, Heidi, Charly - these films communicate that disability is always extreme and always the central focus of an individual's life. "In the last twenty years," Vincent says, "I've realized that human ability is on a continuum for all of us, and that people frequently have accommodation needs without having what are traditionally or legally considered disabilities. Fortunately, there are ways that libraries can be responsive to a wide range of users without significant expense and without infringing on the rights of individuals with more obvious disabilities."
Jane has a B.A. from Lawrence University and an A.M.L.S. from The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She has been involved in the assistive technology field as a consultant, presenter, author, researcher, product manager, and direct service provider. However, libraries have always been her first love, and she is thrilled to be focusing her consulting work in helping them implement assistive technology in ways that are both responsive to their communities and cost-effective. Besides providing assistance to libraries across California and beyond, she serves on the ALA committees Library Services to an Aging Population (RUSA) and Services to Patrons with Learning, Cognitive, Emotional, and Medical Disabilities (ASCLA). She edited an issue of Library Hi-Tech Journal and has been a contributor to JASIS and Communications Disorders Quarterly.