References
As the Berkeley
Public Library librarian in charge of providing ADA accommodations for
library patrons and information about services and programs for our
multifaceted disabled community to library staff, I have worked with Jane
Vincent for over eight years. Jane has been a consultant for the Berkeley
Public Library for that time period providing expertise in the areas of
accessible technology and library services to disabled patrons in general.
Jane is both a librarian and an expert in her chosen specialty of
accessible technology. This makes her the perfect consultant when we have
the often quite complex questions about how to provide maximum access and
ADA accommodations to a diverse and sophisticated community.
In her work as a consultant for the Berkeley Public Library, Jane has
often had to meet extremely tight deadlines. With a very short turnaround,
she organized a number of classes for our All Staff Day Training for over
200 staff members before we opened our newly renovated
Central Library building and was instrumental in making that All Staff
Day, “the best I have ever seen,” according to our Berkeley Public Library
Director, Jackie Griffin. In this very stressful period, Jane kept in
constant contact with me: this helped to make my job of organizing the All
Staff day possible.
Jane is also an expert instructor herself and can present verbally
quite complex and technical ideas and problems in language that the
layperson can easily understand. And furthermore, for her classes and for
handouts that we use at the library for both education and publicity in
the arenas of accessible technology and access, her ability to synthesize
large quantities of information is of utmost importance to our library
staff and patrons. I have rarely had to suggest changes to any of her
materials, and when editing is necessary, Jane is such a good listener
that she can edit her own materials immediately.
Jane and I share a passion for helping all people use computer
technology more efficiently and comfortably, and with her wide-ranging and
deep experience in this important field, she has helped us to offer
superior service and programs to both patrons and library staff here at
the Berkeley Public Library.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions about
Jane.
Lynne Cutler
Oakland Public Library
lcutler[at]oaklandlibrary.org
I am the librarian in charge of services for persons with disabilities and for older adults at the Oakland Public Library. I have worked with Jane Berliss-Vincent over the past eight years, and she has been an invaluable resource to us. She has a very unique set of skills, having a Master's in librarianship plus her years of experience with accessible technologies. She is clear when she teaches, has a great sense of humor, and she connects with everyone.
We have contracted Jane for several projects. She helped us with an LSTA grant to improve services to people with learning disabilities. She has done two cycles of classes teaching library staff about the accessible technologies we offer the public. She talked to our IT staff about accessible web design. She also talked to the City's IT staff about the accessible technologies the library has. I have called her for professional advice numerous times, and I refer patrons to her often.
She has long been a member of BADSL, or Bay Area Disability Services Librarians. She has also presented at many library and disability conferences. Establishing a connection with her would be a boon to any library system.
Richard Bray
Disability and Older Adult Services Coordinator
Alameda County Public Libraries
rbray[at]RBray@aclibrary.org>
Do your staff and the people you serve a big favor: Talk to Jane Berliss-Vincent!! Jane has provided invaluable consulting services to Alameda County Library for over 6 years, advising our purchases of assistive technology (software and hardware) as well as providing invaluable staff training.
Whether for an hour or for an extended period of time, I guarantee you that Jane will provide greatly needed assistance in helping your library expand (or simply begin) assistive technology services to people with disabilities. Whether you might be considering low-tech or high tech resources or could use some training on use of these resources, the results will be a more knowledgeable and comfortable staff and more outreach to the many people with disabilities in your area whom you do not currently serve!
I strongly recommend Jane Vincent as a knowledgeable, efficient, and
motivated expert in accessible technology. I have worked with her on
several projects where she contributed research, writing, and editing. She
is one of the most productive and cooperative individuals I have ever
worked with.
Her years of experience give her a broad and deep understanding of the
area, so that she rapidly grasps the purpose of new projects. She often
contributes new ideas or ways of going about the work that add value. She
is capable of working to strict specification, but also develops material
independently when given only the briefest background. She is also
enthusiastic when learning about new facets of accessibility, whether it
is a new technology, a new view on disability, or a new perspective from
industry or government. She integrates this information seamlessly,
without coaching.
Both her writing and editing skills are exemplary. She is fast, clear,
and accurate. She makes a genuine effort to understand her audience, and
carefully crafts her message. Her communication skills are similarly
excellent, in person, over the phone, or by email. I never have to wait
for an answer -- it's usually there by the next time I check my messages!
Her good humor and positive attitude make her a joy to work with.
Whether for a short project or a long-term program, I recommend her
without reservation.
It was a great pleasure to work with Jane Vincent as our accessibility
consultant on David Roche's website, http://www.davidroche.com/. We have
created many custom websites but had never developed an accessible site
before. There was so much to learn, and we appreciated Jane's
professional, gracious and informative guidance throughout the development
process. She was patient, generous and thorough, and taught us a lot about
the hows and whys of each feature she recommended.
Jane's evaluations were complete and detailed, and included
explanations and alternative suggestions. She provided technical
instructions for our programmer and plain English for us, so we could make
appropriate choices to provide the maximum access that our budget would
allow.
Jane has our highest recommendation and we would be delighted to work
with her again.
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