| Innovative Supports for Autistic Workers has been working with Louisville Free Public Library to ensure that all their staff understand autism and how to support an autistic employee or coworker. All supervisors across the 17 LFPL branches have completed Autism Informed Employer training, followed by a Q&A session with ISAW staff. Once the supervisors had completed training, ISAW was asked to provide training for all staff in order to help them understand and support autistic colleagues. The training was presented live and was also recorded. But that’s not all! ISAW is now working with LFPL to provide learning materials for patrons too. Kudos to LFPL for taking these steps to make their libraries welcoming to both employees and guests! Kentucky’s libraries have been leaders in adopting Autism Informed Employer training. Others that have taken online course or engaged with ISAW directly include the Lexington, Campbell County, Meade County, and Harrison County libraries. If you are connected with a business in Kentucky, please consider becoming our next Autism Informed Employer. The course is available to all Kentucky employers free of charge at https://www.hdilearning.org/courses/autism-informed-employers/ |
Damera Blincoe has worked for the Louisville Free Public Library for twenty-seven years. She is currently Manager of Equity Assessment for the Louisville Free Public Library system and was previously the manager of the Newburg Library. Damera received her Bachelors in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville and Masters in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. She hopes to encourage BIPOC individuals to pursue the field of librarianship.
| We spoke with Louisville Free Public Library Manager of Equity Assessment, Damera Blincoe: ISAW: What is a typical day like as the manager of equity assessment at The Louisville Free Public Library? Damera: I don’t really have a typical day. I mainly respond to emails and phone calls, followed by extensive research to ensure we promote equity in all library policies and practices. ISAW: How did you learn about Innovative Supports for Autistic Works (ISAW) and Autism Informed Employers (AIE)? Damera: I learned about ISAW from an employee at FEAT of Louisville, Erinn Blatt. ISAW: Why did you have your whole staff complete the AIE training? Damera: I wanted all the staff to complete the training to promote a more diverse, inclusive, understanding, and effective workspace. ISAW: Do you have personal experience with autistic people? Damera: I have supervised staff with autism. I was recently diagnosed with autism and also have ADHD. ISAW: Did you find anything surprising about the training? Were there any accommodations suggested that you thought would be too difficult to provide? Damera: The AIE training prompted me to pursue autism testing. I had already been diagnosed with ADHD, but I noticed that many of my traits resembled those of autism. As I progressed through the training, I recognized aspects of myself in most of what I learned. ISAW: Do you have any books on autism or about autistic characters that you would recommend? Damera: I’m currently reading Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price, PhD. |