Universal Accessibility Interest Group

Hello all. My name is Lee Parker and I am the Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Central Michigan University Libraries.

I am reaching out inquiring about potential interest in participating in my research study. The topic of this study is the experiences of those with Autism in leadership positions in the academic library environment. The goal of this study is twofold. The first goal is to see whether the conditions of the Academic Library environment affect the capacity of those with Autism to rise into leadership positions and succeed in those roles once they reach them. The second is to see what these circumstances can tell us about how inclusive the academic library environment is to neurodiverse individuals (both employees and patrons) as a whole. This study will be conducted via interview with individuals who choose to participate and will consist of 9 questions which will be sent to you prior to the interview itself. My goal is to have ten or more individuals in total participate. Those who currently hold or who have held leadership positions which include formal supervisory roles or those who currently hold or who have held positions as chairs of library wide committees are welcome to participate.

Feel free to reach out to me regarding any questions you may have in terms of this study or its requirements. You can either reach out to me via email(parke6l@cmich.edu) or via phone (989-774-2285).