Library Services for Students with Disabilities: Barriers and Way Forward.

Libraries form an integral part of any society and provide an impetus for the academic and intellectual growth of the society. They are considered as the repositories of knowledge and should provide information to all without any discrimination on any grounds. Yet, students with disabilities form a vulnerable group who face discrimination and restrictions while accessing the library services. In this paper we have focused on some of the barriers that students with disabilities face while accessing the library services. These have been identified as a) Inaccessible Formats, Materials and Web-Pages b) Inaccessible Libraries c) Lack of Trained Staff in the Libraries. This has been followed by a set of recommendations to make libraries inclusive and accessible for all

Students with disabilities’ experience in South African higher education – a synthesis of literature

This state of the art review paper offers a synthesis of published studies on students with disabilities’ experience in South African higher education since 1994, when a democratically elected government came to office. The article presents a review of published studies describing the experiences of students with disabilities in South African higher education (SAHE) in the period 1994-2017. In order to obtain a perspective on the experiences of students with disabilities in South African higher education institutions, a synthesis of the findings and implications of South African studies relating to students with disabilities in SAHE is provided. Three aspects will be discussed namely: (a) conceptualisation of disability; (b) access, inclusion and participation in higher education; and (c) supporting mechanisms for students with disabilities. From this, challenges, areas needing further studies, lessons learnt, approaches and policy implications for policy-practitioners and institutions are suggested

Insights from training a blind student in biological sciences

Higher education institutions have a constitutional obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities. Although the teaching and learning of students with blindness and low vision in STEM disciplines are well documented abroad, to date, there are no published studies in South Africa on successful teaching and learning strategies for students with blindness and low vision in STEM fields, specifically in science disciplines. Therefore, in this paper, we report on how teaching, learning, and assessment were adapted to make science disciplines accessible to John, a blind student enrolled in a biological sciences degree at a research-intensive university in South Africa. Several factors contributed towards the successful completion of John’s bachelor’s degree. These factors include the availability of tutors who committed a large amount of time to help John understand content presented in lectures, tutorials, and practical sessions; a well-resourced and effective Disability Unit; lecturers who ensured that John was well accommodated in lectures, tutorials, and practical sessions; and, finally, John’s commitment and dedication towards learning.Significance: This is the first study to report on successful teaching and learning strategies for a blind student in the natural sciences in the South African context. The study provides a guide that scholars, educators, university managers and policymakers can use to ensure that mathematics and science subjects are accessible to blind students and that teaching strategies allow them to perform to their potential

Provision of Library Services for Users in Wheelchairs at Ardhi University and University of Dar es Salaam Libraries

This paper investigated the provision of library services for people in wheelchairs in two university libraries in Tanzania. The paper studied access to the information materials collected in the libraries and the building structure of the two university libraries. At a wider aspect the paper looked at significance of access to library information as the basic right, specifically in higher learning institutions. The study used pragmatism paradigm which is a mixed method approach. Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 was used to analyze quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The results revealed that the two academic libraries are not complying with library universal services to users in wheelchairs. The study therefore suggested that the libraries should strive to offer services that are inclusive to all users including those in wheelchairs. It was also recommended that the two libraries should formulate policies that would cover issues on the provision of library services for physically challenged users. In addition, it was suggested that library buildings should be modified to accommodate users with developmental disabilities, particularly, those in wheelchairs to access housed resources

Library Services, Information Resources Availability and Perceived Academic Achievement of Physically Challenged Students in Ibadan Oyo State

Physically challenged students are entitled to all the support necessary to succeed in their academic pursuits. However, the reality in developing countries, particularly Nigeria, is that little attention is often paid to physically challenged students. This study examined the influence of information resources and library services provision on the perceived academic achievement of physically challenged students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative survey research method. A structured questionnaire was adopted as the instrument for data collection. The study population comprises of 348 physically challenged students from Cheshire Special School Ijokodo, Ibadan, Oyo State. Total enumeration was used due to the manageable size of the population. The findings show that the level of availability of information resources in the library is above average (mean = 2.76) It was also found that library services available to the student is above average (mean = 3.07). Furthermore, hypotheses testing revealed that availability of information resources (ß=0.420, t=3.690, p\u3c0.05) and school library services (ß=1.008, t=6.297, p\u3c0.05) have a significant have positive influence on the perceived academic achievement by the students. The study, therefore, concluded that the library can serve as a veritable evidence of the importance of school libraries in special education and recommends that other schools also embrace the establishment school libraries

LIBRARY FUNDING AND PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED STUDENTS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

One principal factor determining the provision of the required information resources and facilities that meet the needs of physically challenged students is funding. This study investigated library funding and physically challenged students in Nigerian universities, Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study was 236 librarians in 17 public universities in South-west, Nigeria. Total enumeration sampling technique was used for the study. The instrument of data collection was questionnaire. Out of the 236 copies of the questionnaire administered, 171 copies were retrieved, representing 72.5% response rate. Data collected were analysed using percentage, frequency count and statistical mean. The study found that: the library facilities for physically challenged students in universities are walkway free of obstacles, clear and well lit signs in the building, and automatic doors; the challenges faced in providing services for physically challenged students include lack of funds to acquire special equipment, costly equipment, and lack of orientation on how to use the library; and the budgetary provision for meeting the library facilities needed by the physically challenged students is low. It was recommended that the management of the library should provide facilities that can help the physically challenged students use the libraries; consideration should be given to the physically challenged students in the architectural design of the library; and a significant portion of the library budget should be devoted to acquiring the facilities that can ease the use of the library by the physically challenged students

The Exclusion of Persons with Visual Impairment in Nigerian Academic Libraries\u27 Websites

Libraries facilities and resources are expected to be accessible to patrons including people with disabilities. The experience in Nigeria appears to dictate otherwise.This study therefore examines the extent of inclusion and exclusion of persons with visual impairment with respect to access the contents of websites of Nigerian academic libraries. Data used for this study were derived from content analysis of websites of the first top ten universities in the webometric ranking of universities in Nigeria, The analysis was based on the checklist of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). This study discovered that only two of the top ten university libraries in Nigeria have web links on disability resources for persons with disabilities. The study shows a high level of exclusion of persons with visual impairments in the websites of the leading university libraries in Nigeria. The findings suggests that the websites of the leading university libraries in Nigeria require additional information to be considered inclusive. The study concludes with recommendations and implications for policy formulation concerning the need for a more inclusive culture in the university libraries to accommodate persons with visual impairment

Challenges faced by libraries in a democratic South Africa: A case of three community libraries in Limpopo Province

Community libraries are crucial for people to have access to information to satisfy their multiple needs. As custodians of information and knowledge in diverse spheres, they play a role in the socio-economic development of nations. This article attempts to investigate challenges faced by libraries in three different settings in post-apartheid South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The users, librarians and a wellplaced official of the relevant department were interviewed. Convenience sampling was used to select users and librarians while purposive sampling was used to select an official. Face-to-face interviews and observation and a checklist were used to collect data. Senior officials of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture need to study challenges revealed by the findings and to take action to remedy the situation.Information Scienc

Students with disabilities’ experience in South African higher education – a synthesis of literature

This state of the art review paper offers a synthesis of published studies on students with disabilities’ experience in South African higher education since 1994, when a democratically elected government came to office. The article presents a review of published studies describing the experiences of students with disabilities in South African higher education (SAHE) in the period 1994-2017. In order to obtain a perspective on the experiences of students with disabilities in South African higher education institutions, a synthesis of the findings and implications of South African studies relating to students with disabilities in SAHE is provided. Three aspects will be discussed namely: (a) conceptualisation of disability; (b) access, inclusion and participation in higher education; and (c) supporting mechanisms for students with disabilities. From this, challenges, areas needing further studies, lessons learnt, approaches and policy implications for policy-practitioners and institutions are suggested

Public librarians' perspectives of digital library for rural areas of Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo Province

Even after two decades of a constitutional democracy that is prized as one of the most progressive achievements, public libraries and information services remain scarce in rural South Africa. This is despite the fact that Library and Information Services (LIS) are important to build and develop communities and foster enlightenment among citizens, but in direct contradiction to the rights of free education and the right to information enshrined in the Constitution. On the one hand, the establishment of new libraries in rural areas moves at inexcusable slower pace, while in the same vein, the population and communities continue to grow rapidly, with consequent demand for LIS. However, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have positively impacted the library landscape and society at large. This transformation requires a shift from traditional ways of information provision to modern library services, namely, digital libraries. This study intended to investigate public librarians' perspectives of digital library for rural areas of Capricorn District Municipality (CDM), Limpopo Province. Moreover, to understand the nature of digital libraries and requirements for access and effective use of such libraries. A further objective is to ascertain whether digital libraries could be a solution for inaccessible LIS in rural areas. The study employed qualitative research approach through interpretive paradigm to investigate the perspectives of public librarians. The study adopted phenomenological research design. DeLone and McLean's Information System Success Model was adopted to frame the study. The population of the study was a total of the twenty-three public librarians with various titles from the CDM employed by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Local Municipalities. A purposive sampling technique was employed. The sample of the study included five librarians from various public libraries. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and was analysed thematically. The study findings revealed that the digital libraries are not to replace the physical libraries, but to improve the LIS. It was found that digital library users require ICT tools of which some rural users may not afford. Moreover, users have varying preferences on the format of the information source, some may need printers to convert the digital information to print format adding financial implications on the rural user. The study indicated that basic computer literacy skills are central for access and use of digital library services, no advanced training is necessary. However, self-training might be sufficient for the use of digital library system, denoting expectation of a usable digital library system. The study revealed that the youth are expected to use the digital library services than other age groups, as youth are arguably conversant with internet technologies. The study found out that some librarians do digitise some of their heavily used materials to cater many users as they flock to the library, for instance, curriculum books. However, copyright laws might be overlooked or not taken cognisance of. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the current traditional libraries should operate as hybrid to provide LIS to enable users with no gadgets and other access challenges. Digitisation equipment, reliable internet, well-trained personnel are seen to be aspects of significance for digital library system. Moreover, it is encouraged that the digital library system should be inclusive of people with disabilities and other services beyond library services. It is further advised that the digital library system should provide services of traditional libraries which are possible digitally and subscribe to online information resources. This study shall serve as a guideline on implementation or establishment of digital libraries in a rural context. Therefore, other researchers can investigate the attitudes of digital library users and the likelihood of rural users on acceptance of digital libraries.Information ScienceM. Inf