---
title: "Working for Everybody"
id: "61315"
type: "post"
slug: "working-for-everybody"
published_at: "2023-07-19T16:13:05+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:07:19+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/working-for-everybody/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/working-for-everybody.md"
excerpt: "As leader on accessibility at the American Library Association, Hillary Pearson encourages staff and members to improve their workplaces. Step one: Look around you."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Operations"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "Associations Now"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Association Professionals"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
 » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/)
 » Working for Everybody

Part of the Deep Dive[Staff Smarts](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/new-roles/)
When Hillary Pearson joined the American Library Association in late 2022 as its program manager, accessibility services, her mandate was straightforward: Support ALA’s mission of making sure everyone has access to information.

Of course, that can be easier said than done. Part of Pearson’s job is to help support and develop accessibility initiatives at the libraries where ALA members work. But she’s also working on how ALA operates internally. In either case, part of the job means encouraging people to look at their environments in ways they’re not accustomed to. Don’t just look for who’s participating. Look for who’s not—and why that might be.

“Attitudinal barriers very much exist,” she says. “If folks don’t see who’s coming into your space, or don’t see a group or community in the space, there’s an assumption that those people don’t need your service.”

Leading on accessibility involves more than just promoting tools and supporting ADA regulations, she says. It’s an ongoing process of teaching people how to look at the world differently.

[Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/)

**Stay Informed**

[Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/)
, *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day.

## More in this Deep Dive

- [Running the Numbers](https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/running-the-numbers/)
- [A More Disciplined Approach to Projects](https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/a-more-disciplined-approach-to-projects/)
- [Find Success With Service-Forward Marketing. Here’s How](https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/find-success-with-service-forward-marketing-heres-how/)
- [Equity at the Core of Everything](https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/equity-at-the-core-of-everything/)
- [Five Steps for Creating an Upskilling Program](https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/five-steps-for-creating-an-upskilling-program/)
- [New Frontiers](https://associationsnow.com/2023/07/19/new-frontiers/)

[View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/new-roles/)

## You Might Like

- [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/)
- [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition-Helping Associations Thrive in the Age of AIJuly 16, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/16/associations-now-presents-industry-partner-edition-helping-associations-thrive-in-the-age-of-ai/)
- [VideoSkip the Search. Start Here.June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/skip-the-search-start-here/)
- [VideoRisky Business: What Types of Insurance Do Associations Really Need?June 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/17/risky-business-what-types-of-insurance-do-associations-really-need/)

## Comments

**Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/)

[Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2023%2F07%2F19%2Fworking-for-everybody%2F%23comments)
 to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/)
!