By: Kate Hargreaves, UWindsor Public Affairs and Communications
Leddy Library is now loaning sensory kits as part of ongoing efforts to create a supportive campus by providing inclusive and comfortable study environments.
The idea for this initiative was brought forth from a library committee looking at ways that Leddy Library can better support and serve neurodivergent people on campus.
As part of the project, the Library approached three-time alumna Dr. Jan Matte-Gasparovic (BHK, BEd, MHK), who led the first autism classroom in the Greater Essex District School Board from 2003 until retiring in 2017.
Working with Matte-Gasparovic, Leddy Library staff have put together five loanable sensory kits, available to borrow from the circulation/information desk.
“The kits include items that work with most of the senses, including touch, sight and sound,” explains associate university librarian Karen Pillon.
“You can find items that squish, water puzzles, mini pop fidgets and others.”
Engaging with these items can help reduce feelings of overwhelm, with sensory kits increasingly available in schools, museums and other public settings.
“We are so excited to bring this new set of study tools to the student community,” says Pillon.
“We know that there is more than one way to study, and we are glad that these tools can assist in a student’s study journey.”
To check these items out, visit the Leddy website.
(banner image provided by K. PILLON/University of Windsor)
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