Person first, disability second: disability awareness training in libraries

Purpose To look at disability awareness training from a practitioner's point of view, taking into account personal experience of organising training in an academic library, the impact of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and the subsequent publication of a training booklet. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive account. Findings That effective disability training can be carried out by libraries, either in house or by means of outside speakers, so long as relevance to practice is the underlying principle. Research limitations/implications The practitioner approach to disability training taken by the paper excludes theoretical generalisations. Practical implications A highly practical account of the implementation of disability training in a given library context. Originality/value If a training programme is evolved and delivered with certain clear, practice‐oriented values in mind, libraries can significantly upgrade the quality of front‐line services delivered to disabled users.