Τα άτοµα µε προβλήµατα όρασης έχουν τις ίδιες πληροφοριακές ανάγκες µε τους βλέποντες. Όπως ακριβώς οι βλέποντες µπορούν να διαβάσουν µια εφηµερίδα, να ακούσουν ένα CD ή να “κατεβάσουν” ηλεκτρονικές πληροφορίες από το ∆ιαδίκτυο, έτσι και τα άτοµα µε προβλήµατα όρασης θέλουν να έχουν πρόσβαση σε πληροφορίες στη µορφή της επιλογής τους. Η ανάπτυξη µιας αποτελεσµατικής υπηρεσίας πληροφόρησης για τους εντυπο- ανάπηρους είναι ιδιαίτερα σηµαντική, διότι υπάρχει πολύ λιγότερο εµπορικώς διαθέσιµο υλικό σε προσβάσιµη µορφή από αυτό που τυπώνεται για το ευρύ κοινό.
Στις δεκαετίες του 1950?1970 τα κινήματα υπέρ των αστικών δικαιωμάτων έφεραν την έννοια και την ταυτότητα της αναπηρίας στο προσκήνιο, ανάλογα με αυτή της εθνικής (π.χ. μετανάστες) ή φυλετικής ταυτότητας (π.χ. μαύροι). Τα άτομα με αναπηρία (ΑμεΑ) άρχισαν να συγκεντρώνουν το διεπιστημονικό ενδιαφέρον τη δεκαετία του 1960 και έκτοτε αποτελούν ένα σοβαρό κοινωνικό θέμα. Παρόλο όμως που τα ΑμεΑ αποτελούν την μειονοτική εκείνη ομάδα με τον μεγαλύτερο αριθμό μελών και τις περισσότερες ανάγκες, έχουν διαφύγει της προσοχής των βιβλιοθηκών (Church et al., 2000).
As more information is delivered using computer and network technologies, libraries play an increasingly important role in ensuring access for all people to Internet and other information resources. In making electronic resources accessible, principles of universal design should be employed.
Universal design means that, rather than design your services and facility for the average user, you design them for people with a broad range of abilities and disabilities. Keep in mind that patrons may have learning disabilities and visual, speech, hearing, and mobility impairments.
The importance of information to the success of any academic institution should not be underestimated. Ukpanah (2006) affirms that in an academic community, information is used for learning, teaching, research and leisure. Information according to Ajiboye and Tella (2007), is used primarily for academic purposes. These findings agree with Kakai et.al (2004), when they observed that students information-seeking behaviours promote academic excellence.
There shall be at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind a separate department of adult blind and deaf. Legislative appropriations for the department shall be made separate and apart from the legislative appropriations made for the support and operation of the institute. The department shall have authority to establish and to operate a library service for blind, visually handicapped, deaf or severely handicapped persons, and the department is hereby designated as the official agency to operate a regional library for the blind, visually handicapped, deaf and severely handicapped
ALA Council, the governing body of the American Library Association, unanimously approved the following policy. The policy was written by the Americans with Disabilities Act Assembly, a representational group administered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association.
The aim of these guidelines is to provide benchmarks for an acceptable minimal level of service which can be used by all libraries in analysing the current level of service, in facilitating forward-planning and in developing strategies for more-effective services. It is recommended that these standards be regarded as minimum requirements and that, given the rapid developments in technology in this area, they be reviewed every two to three years.
In many countries all over the world, access for patrons with disabilities to use libraries is not yet available or even expected. In order to provide equal opportunities for all library users, it is necessary to look with the eyes of these patron groups at the physical condition of library buildings, as well as library services and programs.
