Technical University of Mombasa

HIS 4202: USER STUDIES

LECTURER: STEPHEN ODERA

EMAIL: soodongo@tum.ac.ke
MOBILE PHONE: 0727558921

LECTURE SESSIONS

Session Three: Users with Special Needs

3.1 Session Objectives

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

 Identify the different types of disabilities.

 Challenges faced by special users

 Strategies for providing learning environment for special users.

3.2 Introduction

Libraries are service organizations which give services without discrimination to their

numerous users, including disabled people. As more people with disabilities attend

education institutions, it is incumbent upon library management to provide the same

level of service to them as is provided to users without disabilities. No doubt this

group of people is making growing use of libraries and requires enhanced assistance

in their search for information and information materials. There are various types of

disabilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined disability as an umbrella

term covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. The

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disabled are the people who have physical, visual, mental or hearing impairment. The

impairment has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the ability to perform

normal day to day activities, that border on their survival within the society. The

Oxford Illustrated Dictionary (1991) describes disabled as anything, or want that

prevents one’s doing something especially legal disqualification, physical incapacity

caused by injury or disease.

Libraries are very aware of the extra difficulties of access and use which disabled users

can face. Thus, the American Library Association’s (1995) Code of ethics guides

reference librarians to provide unbiased responses to all requests by users Disability

can cover a range of impairments including physical, sensory and cognitive, all of

which can have an impact on a person’s ability to interact with information or

information materials. Accessibility of library services and library service to persons

with disabilities was a concern in the United States (US) long before the 1990

implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Library of

Congress began providing services for persons with visual disabilities in 1897. Initially

consisting of a reading room with 40 books in Braille, the service eventually developed

into the National Library Service (NLS) which provides services to print disabled

individuals across the US (Cylke, Moodie, & Fistick, 2007). Similar programs operate

in the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Australia. Libraries have the potential to

provide meaningful assistance. Libraries are often considered a leveler in terms of

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socioeconomic differences—providing resources to people who might not otherwise

have access (American Library Association, n.d.; Epp, 2006; Russell & Huang, 2009).

3.3 Types of disabilities

Libraries work as service organizations which facilitate all their users without

discrimination, including persons with special needs as well.

Visually challenged/ impairment

Only a small proportion of visually impaired people are totally blind. There is a range

of effects, including cloudy or patchy vision, inability to distinguish light from dark,

blurred vision, difficulty judging distance or speed, peripheral vision and tunnel

vision. Some people cannot see close objects; others have poor distance eyesight.

Visual ability may be affected by the environment, for example whether known or

unknown, bright sunshine or a darkened room. Visual impairment can be congenital,

or develop later in life. Some conditions are stable, whereas others will deteriorate or

fluctuate. It is not always obvious that someone has a sight disability. Use of screen-

reading software, Braille, tactile or audio recordings necessitates reliance on auditory

rather than visual processing. These media, as well as enlarged print (both printed

and screen-magnified), reduce the ability to scan information, require extra

concentration, and can be more tiring.

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Hearing impairment

It may not be evident that a person is deaf or hard of hearing; this is often a hidden

disability. It is a common misconception that people who are deaf or hard of hearing

cannot hear any sounds at all. The person is likely to be able to hear some frequencies

and may be lip reading. It is therefore important always to consider whether you are

communicating clearly. Depending on the degree of deafness, a deaf person may be

able to hear some sounds at certain pitches, but hear little else. Other hard of hearing

people use hearing aids. Deaf and hard of hearing people may be able to understand

what is being said some of the time, but not always.

Physical impairments

Physical impairment is a term which refers to a broad range of impairments which

may be either congenital i.e. present at birth, or a result of injury or disease. Some

conditions may result in marked fluctuations of behaviour and performance, whilst in

others these remain stable. Many impairments which cause mobility difficulties are

visible because people may have to rely upon assistive devices, such as wheelchairs,

scooters, crutches, and walking sticks. Some impairments may be invisible but should

be taken equally seriously e.g. ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).

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3.4 Challenges faced by special users

Rumsey (2002) states that many persons with disabilities still encounter problems

accessing library services because the typical library still works best for able-bodied

patrons. Studies show that libraries have not been a source of attraction for people

with special needs due to a number of reasons. Libraries in the past have not assisted

blind persons very well, apart from large print and talking books. Additionally,

adaptive technology for using the internet has recently begun to be used (Williamson,

Schauder & Bow, 2002). The physically challenged students encountered challenges

in physical access to building and physical limitations such as retrieving books from

the library shelves (Okoli, 2010). Guyer and Uzeta (2009) suggested that libraries

should have provision of adaptive assistive technologies for persons with special

needs. Pivik, (2002) indicated that the major problem experienced by PWDs, especially

those with mobility problem are barriers in the physical environment which includes

the surroundings of the school library, the entrance, stairs, elevators or ramp etc. A

study carried out by Anambo (2007) indicated that provision of library services to

users with disabilities is largely characterized by a combination of structural

inadequacies, staff incapacity, and absence of internally formulated compliance with

national and international policy frameworks. In particular, the study revealed that

the library had no facilities, resources and equipment such as the lifts, spacious ramps,

Braille materials, hearing aids required by users with disabilities. The attitude of staff

towards users with disabilities was also found to be unfavorable (Anambo, 2007).

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Similarly, Ochoggia’s 2003 case study on the provision of library services to visually

handicapped users found that the library relied on inadequate Braille materials, a few

recorded books, and staff who lacked the specialized skills needed to adequately serve

visually handicapped users. Librarians had no special training on library and

information service delivery to PWDs. PWDs therefore did not access the services due

to the fact that the librarians lacked knowledge of library and information service

delivery to PWDs. According to Ukoye (2010) that psychological barriers which

hinder PWDs from accessing library and information services are based on the lack of

librarians' knowledge and experiences in the characteristics of disabilities and the

needs of disabled people. Parking areas, pathways and entrances to the library

building were not accessible to PWD’s. Library aisles were kept wide and clear for

wheelchair users and safety of users who are visually impaired. Library had elevators

or access ramps in place of stairs yet the libraries were housed on more than one

building floor. There were no wheelchair-accessible restrooms with well-marked signs

available in or near the library. Some had bad railings. In addition, most of the libraries

were not spacious for students on wheelchairs to move around.

3.5 Strategies for providing learning environment for special users

The persons with special needs are actively participating in all spheres of life and as

result of recent United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Person with Disabilities

(2006), many initiatives have been taken to provide accessible learning environment

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to individuals with special needs. These measures shall include the identification and

elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility to physical environment, to

transportation, to information and communication technologies (UNO, 2006).

Writing on ways of accommodating people with disabilities, Cantor (1996) proposes

the ADAPTABLE approach in planning accessible libraries. According to him, the A-

D-A-P-T-AB-L-E acronym represents eight workplace accommodation strategies,

namely:

 Assistive devices

 Alternate formats

 Personal support

 Transportation services

 Adapted furniture

 Building modifications

 Low-tech devices

 Environmental adaptations

3.5.1 Assistive devices

Broadly speaking, assistive technology (AT) is any device, equipment or system that

helps an individual to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or near

impossible to do. It as “an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and

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rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used

in selecting, locating, and using them”. Assistive technologies are used to aid persons

with disabilities to make them more productive. The technologies can be either low-

or high-tech, depending on the use as well as on information on new improvements

and augmentative technologies being employed. In libraries, assistive services include

adjustable workstations, alternative keyboards and mice, CCTV magnifiers,

reachers/grabbers, Reading Edge Text to Speech and a walker and wheelchair to get

around the building. Other examples of assistive technologies that can be found in the

library are Screen Reading Software, Kurzweil 3000, Magnification Equipment, that

is, ZoomText screen magnification software and also some like JAWS, a software that

reads screen aloud; Dragon Naturally Speaking, which allows voice input and output

for hands-free navigation; and OpenBook 8.0, which is used to convert graphic-based

printed text to electronic text, using character recognition and speech-to-text

functions. Some more like MagicCursor, Screen Doors, Dwell Clicker 2, Word Q and

Speak Q, WYNN Wizard, TrackerPro, Interpretype machine for the hearing impaired

can also be used in libraries.

3.5.2 Alternate formats

These are formats that present printed or electronic documents in different formats in

order to ensure everyone has equal access to the information which is required.

Persons with disabilities often use adaptive/assistive technology that require an

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alternate/accessible format so the technology can access the information in a specific

manner for the user.

Types of Accessible Formats

Braille: A tactile system of cells and dots.

Closed Captioning: Captioning translates the audio portion of a video presentation

by way of subtitles, or captions, which usually appear on the bottom of the screen.

Captioning may be closed or open. Closed captions can only be seen on a television

screen that is equipped with a device called a closed caption decoder. Open captions

are “burned on” a video and appear whenever the video is shown. Captioning makes

television programs, films and other visual media with sound accessible to people

who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Described Video: With described video (also known as descriptive audio) all relevant

action scenes and on-screen text (such as credits) in video, TV programming, Web-

based multi-media or movies is described and read by a narrator.

ePUB: ePUB is an electronic book format that has become the industry standard,

allowing eBooks that use this format to be read on a wide variety of e-Readers.

Large Print: Print enlargement on paper, minimum 18 point font size.

Text-to-Speech: Software that allows students to scan their texts into the computer,

which converts the text into a digital format and uses a speech synthesizer to read it

aloud. (e.g. Kurzweil 3000, Read&Write).

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Voice-to-Text: Software that allows users to speak into a microphone while the

computer transcribes their voice into a digital format. (E.g. Dragon Naturally

Speaking).

Screen Readers: Software that reads the computer screen aloud to students, replacing

the graphical user interface with auditory interface. (E.g. JAWS, VoiceOver).

3.5.3 Personal support

Libraries are here to support inquiry and learning, and library staff are dedicated to

connecting users to rich and complex library system. Each PWD is assigned a

particular librarian who is will serve as the go-to person for questions related to the

libraries’ collections and services and can help you make connections.

Personal librarians can help users in a variety of ways:

 Remind them about helpful services.

 Assist in conducting research, locating information, and developing effective

search strategies.

 Answer general questions about the library.

 Connect you to university resources outside of the library.

3.5.4 Transportation services

Specialized transportation service for persons with disabilities. It is a demand-

response, curb-to-curb service designed to serve the needs of PWD. Physical access

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encompasses access to and egress from the building, parking, and routes from parking

or public transport, and the person’s use of services within the building. When

considering physical access, the needs of all people with disabilities should be

considered, not only wheelchair users.

3.5.5 Adapted furniture

The library should provide appropriate furniture – e.g. low level desks, staff contact

points and photocopiers for wheelchair users, ergonomic chairs, height adjustable

computer and study tables, seating next to areas where people need to queue,

lightweight trolleys to aid book collection, for readers' use

3.5.6 Building modifications

Buildings that are accessible are important because it allows for more equal, and

hopefully equitable, access for people with various abilities. Accessibility can often be

more easily achieved with new construction, as it can be taken into account from the

first designs. However, existing buildings, especially older buildings, are often not

accessible people with varied abilities. Physical access to the library should also not

be a barrier to library use. Buildings should be accessible and when this is not possible,

reasonable accommodations should be offered. Signage is an easy and affordable way

to make your building a bit more accessible to those with disabilities. If your building

has accessible entrances or bathroom stalls, make signage giving directions. Signage

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can make accessibility more obvious and can increase privacy by preventing those

with disabilities from having to self-disclose to staff. Ramps are an important aspect

in making entrances and floor levels accessible. Ramps can be built in to the building

infrastructure or can be placed over stairs. They can also be cut into sidewalk curbs

for wheelchair and stroller accessible. Lighting can be important for those who are

visually impaired. Try to make sure your building is evenly lighted, avoiding too

bright or too dark. Try to avoid glossy surfaces, which can create glares. For walls and

floors, use contrasting colors so they are easy to differentiate.

3.5.7 Low-tech devices

Assistive technologies can be "high tech" and "low tech:" from canes and lever

doorknobs to voice recognition software and augmentative communication devices

(speech generating devices). Mouth stick - a device that allows users to control input

(whether that be moving their wheelchair or surfing the web) with a stick they

manipulate with their mouth. Head wand - a device similar to a mouth stick, but users

control input with their head instead of their mouth. Speech Recognition Software:

Speech recognition software helps users create text and navigate online by speaking

into a microphone. This may be useful for users who have problems with fine motor

skills or limited mobility.

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3.5.8 Environmental adaptations

“Some environments that are more facilitative are associated with less disability,

whereas other environments that are facilitative are associated with more disability”

(Keysor, 2006, p. 98). This seeming paradox may reflect a complex and dynamic

process of human adaptation to or modification of the environment. For example,

people with greater levels of physical impairment and more difficulty getting around

may modify their environments to reduce barriers and make life easier; they may also

choose their home or work environment, or both, to minimize barriers.

Some examples of modifications are:

 Rearranging furniture so that individuals will be face to face when speaking

with one another.

 Provide amplification devices for use with the TV or telephone.

 Setup multiple stations around the house that have pens and paper handy for

use in communication.

 Use vibrating alarms and timers that can be kept on the client’s person to

replace alarm clocks, etc.

3.5.9 Staff Training

A critical component to providing equitable access service is the interaction between

students with disabilities and library staff. Library staff may feel uncomfortable and

self-conscious when assisting those with disabilities. They may have “preconceptions

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and misconceptions about persons with certain disabilities and may be unaware that

some disabilities are invisible and not readily apparent to others.” It is only through

adequate training that staff can be “sensitized to the special needs of people with

disabilities and help them feel more comfortable interacting with them.” The first step

when implementing such a training program is to assess the need for and the scope of

the sessions. According to Deines-Jones (1999), “training needs often are determined

without consulting staff members or patrons to find out not only what staff members

do not know, but also what they should know. When training needs are defined and

staff members know why the training is important, they will be more willing

participants and more likely to retain and use information. For example, if most staff

members are comfortable assisting patrons in using adaptive technology, this type of

training could become a lower priority than the training needed to improve awareness

and sensitivity in assisting those with learning disabilities.

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