Community Feedback
Dr. Michael Alessandri and Commissioner Raquel Regalado sit amongst the crowd
Photo courtesy of the Miami-Dade Public Library System.
Rafael Costa said that the social narratives have been widely accepted by the Miami-Dade community. Two representatives from a local school who work with special needs children attended the award ceremony and said that they intended to share the social narratives with parents.
MDPLS also received positive feedback from parents who visited their branch’s website.
There was strong staff buy-in for the Autism Friendly initiative because they recognized it as a need for themselves, their programs and for patrons at their local branches. Staff learned that rather than change the types of programs for neurodiverse individuals, they needed to utilize the skills learned from UM-NSU CARD’s training.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava shares her thoughts in a November 2021 press release on the library system’s efforts:
Making Miami-Dade a more equitable, inclusive place where all residents and families feel welcome is a key priority for my administration. Our public libraries have always been a place of inclusion and I’m proud that they are at the forefront of implementing this important countywide effort to continue expanding and enhancing our programming and services for people of all abilities.
Raquel Regalado at the podium
Photo courtesy of the Miami-Dade Public Library System.
