Very few publishers print material that covers subject matter of interest to retarded adults. Training in the distribution and selection of material should have the benefit of a professional librarian's knowledge and experience. Media centers for the handicapped should be model community environments, enhancing and expanding life skills which habilitate the clients. A crucial aspect is to normalize, humanize, and de institutionalize. Technological advancements have increased the availability of information to the handicapped.
Assistive devices are in a dynamic state of redevelopment.
Page turners, mechanized wheel chairs, magnifiers, and innumerable other aids are changing the lives of the handicapped. The technology of microcomputers, exemplified by touch screens and voice activation, allow for a wealth of physical and intellectual experiences heretofore unavailable. Anyone currently entering the field of special library development focusing on adults with disabilities is a pioneer. The sociological theories of learning and mainstreaming propounded by the special outreach community really work when the user is given exposure to material that is understandable and appropriate. The effort to bring handicapped people into the body of the community and the teaching of acceptance of people who might otherwise be isolated because of physical or mental differences will eventually bring outstanding rewards.