Expanding Access
Kyle Williams is on a mission. A mission that developed through thirst for knowledge and accessibility. He wants to ensure that people public libraries as everyone else. In recent years, he has found the computers in the local libraries difficult to use. Or to quote Kyle directly, “a pain in the butt.”
Kyle is visually impaired and enjoys visiting
the libraries in Vestal and Apalachin. He loves
to spend hours researching and navigating the
library system. The problem is the software is
clunky and difficult to use, so Kyle decided to
research a solution to that problem. What he
found was NVDA, Non-Visual Desktop Access, an
open-source software that is free to download
and can be used on multiple computers.
As Kyle became more familiar with the
software, he came to the conclusion that all
libraries needed to have this accessible solution.
It increased his ability to access information and
allowed him more choices with multiple add-ons
and different voice options. For Kyle, this was a
game changer and he was not stopping with one
library. He said, “OH. MY. GOD. I’m taking this
worldwide baby.”
His first step was to reach out the Executive Director of the Four County Library System in Binghamton, Steven Bachman. Through multiple emails, Kyle made his case to download NVDA to all the libraries in the four-county system. His passion for accessibility was evident to Steven, and he expressed his appreciation for Kyle’s work.
“Kyle in an incredible advocate. He was able to present to us, in very relatable terms, the challenges he faces along with improvements that could be made to increase and expand access. His perspective and experience will help us ensure greater access to library resources for all” said Bachman.
Mr. Bachman listened, and a few months later Steven found NVDA downloaded on the computers in all the libraries he visited - but he didn’t stop there. Through Racker, Kyle receives services through the Community Support Program and is joined by his CSP Shelly Hyde when he visits the library. Shelly’s daughter serves on a committee in Chicago whose mission is to make the city more accessible for people with disabilities. She brought NVDA to the attention of the committee chairman who sent the idea back to his home town in Canada- “Worldwide baby!”
Kyle’s drive comes from a strong desire to advocate for himself and help others in the library communities. Like all strong people with a mission, Kyle will continue to find solutions when obstacles are in his way. Congratulations to Kyle for creating another part of the community where all people know they belong.
