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Foreword xiii everyone you meet with 20/20 vision. To do this you must under- stand both the needs and abilities of patrons who are differently abled. This book can be used as a textbook for teaching library and information science students or as a helpful reference to those work- ing in libraries who did not have a course or who need a resource for a refreshed vision. If the opportunity was not available in your library and information science program, this book an excellent resource for everyone who is working in any library or information center that is serving a wide spectrum of clientele with a wide range of differing abilities. What wasn’t offered in the master’s program can be studied here, and what needs to be reviewed or updated can be found here too. This book will be very useful for librarians who are preparing professional education workshops within their libraries. We go to great lengths to keep our eyes healthy. Many have laser surgery so that they no longer need glasses or contacts to be able to see—tossing those frames that seemed so unwelcome when we had to wear them as children. As we grow older, we have cataracts removed and lenses put in to keep our vision sharp. We fear macular degeneration and go to well-trained doctors who prescribe injections that delay the loss of vision. Repairing our vision throughout our lives allows us to see as far as we can see, taking in views of waterfalls between Canada and the United States and between Argentina and Brazil, viewing glaciers in Alaska, and watching children and grand- children grow. Repairing our vision in relation to the clientele we will serve and the colleagues we choose to work with is a constant chal- lenge it is critically important that we keep our vision clear. Librarians and other information professionals need to spend dedi- cated time keeping our professional eyes healthy to really look at our patrons to meet their differing needs. Viewing some of our patrons may seem obvious: the patron who has very thick glasses, wears hearing aids, or walks with a cane or assistive walker. It may not be as readily seen when the person has a reading disorder or a mental difficulty they try to hide. To really see, the lenses of knowledge, experience, and clear vision enable you to serve all of your patrons. Providing access to information is a universal charge to librarians. Using informed eyes to see as far as they can see will increase the possibility of meeting the needs of every patron. This book is a key to doing just that.