ALA Conference 2009: Charging Disabled Attendees Daily Scooter Fees

By Lauren Barack -- School Library Journal, 7/11/2009

A new $25 charge for daily scooter rentals for disabled attendees at this year’s American Library Association’s (ALA) annual conference in Chicago from July 9-15 has created some chatter among members.

At issue? The ALA used to offer the scooters for free, but this year felt it needed to pass along some of the cost to those who used them.

“We know this is important to our membership,” says Deidre Ross, director of conference services. “But everyone is hurting, including the ALA, which is why we had to put on a small charge.”

The ALA has a rich history of offering many amenities to its members with special needs, often at cost. Interpreters, or signers, are available at no additional charge with two who are on-call throughout the conference. Main sessions are captioned, lead animals welcome, hearing devices provided, and wheelchairs free to anyone who requests. “[Scooter fees] are the only thing that went up this year,” Ross says.

But like most of its members, the ALA has undergone tough times, and has seen exhibits and advertising down for this year’s conference, says Ross.

Still, by deciding to split the $50 rental cost for the scooters with its members has caused some disgruntled feelings. “There has been some talk,” Ross concedes.

While Lisa Von Drasek still decided to travel to Chicago for this year’s conference, with her librarian’s salary and husband out of work, the $125 extra fee for five scooters did give her pause. “Is its fair that I have to pay $125 and someone else doesn’t? No,” says the children’s librarian at the Bank Street College of Education and who says she has a genetic condition which makes it hard for her to stand and walk long-distances. “But then, life isn’t fair.”

Another suggestion from members was that the ALA offer a scholarship for the fee, akin to the subsidy the organization sometimes offers to those who need childcare at its midwinter conference.

Ross is open to ideas that would help offset the fee. “We would consider anything,” she says. “If a nice exhibitor wanted to sponsor the scooters, we would happily put up a sign.”

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