Post on 11-Nov-2014
description
Library Accessibility: the U.A.D Experience
Christopher Milne
Outline
Library design features to help students and staff with disabilities
Highlight how Library Services have been adapted to help disabled users access our services as easily as possible
Outline how Library staff are made aware of service developments, and how information is communicated to staff on disability awareness
Outline the planning process for developing these services
Background Statistics: HESA 2001
30,970 students with a disability in Higher Education 4% of the student population
NB: These figures do not represent other disabled users who although are not students at a HEI may be entitled to access a Library and its services
Disabled Students HESA Statistics: Selective Breakdown
1,020 Registered blind / visual impairment 2,060 Registered deaf / hearing impairment 1,550 Wheel chair users / mobility difficulties 1,290 Mental health difficulties 10,430 Registered with Dyslexia
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2002
Library Design
Specific features introduced to the building to aid disabled users Semi automatic entrance, on ground floor
Push pads to open door, placed at wheel chair height
Lift provides access to all floors Braille buttons Voice assistance informing users when doors open /
close, direction lift is about to travel and floor information
Access to lift restricted to maximise its availability to disabled users and library staff
Speed of lift set to lowest setting to discourage use
Library Design
Specific features introduced to the building to aid disabled users Disabled toilets on each floor, within the
public areas Automatic lights, door activated These are equipped with pull cord alarms
Linked to audible alarm, and emergency light Induction loops
Issue desk Information Services Desk (level 2)
Main subject / IT enquiry point
Library Design
Design Brief Open, user friendly, accessible building
Translates well An open spacious design complementary to
the needs of some disabled students & staff e.g. few doors, wheel chair friendly
Commonality in the layout / positioning of services
e.g. toilets in the same place on each floor
Library Design
What other facilities could we introduce to provide more assistance? Disabled parking facility?
Issue of location No Braille signage in the Library, apart
from the lift Most signs produced on white
backgrounds Consensus that cream / buff coloured
background more useful
Does the Library Building Meet the Needs of Disabled Users?
SHEFC Disability Needs Analysis (Estates) December 2000 Library Building received a disability
audit Positive feedback
SHEFC made a small number of recommendations (9 in total) including:
Disabled parking, handrails to be coated with non slip agent, improvements in signage
Library Services
Adaptation of Library services to support disabled users, going to look at the following areas: Access to Library stock Renewal policies Printing and photocopying Inter Library Loans PC access Specialist equipment
Specialist Expertise / Advice
Information Services staff heavily reliant on the expertise and support of colleagues within student services
James Nicholson, Head of Student Services
John Petrie, Student Advisor, Student Services
Specialist Expertise / Advice
Essential to have access to specialist expertise, advice and support At U.A.D we rely on this knowledge &
skills set to: Help plan and develop Library and IT services
that are sensitive and responsive to the needs of students and staff with disabilities
Receive briefings on important developments
Communication: Student Services / Information
Services Good communication and co-
operation between Student and Information Services
Details of disabled students passed to Information Services staff One principle point of contact Triggers a range of “house keeping”
tasks
House Keeping Tasks: Information Services
Library Records altered for Students with any visual impairment or
who experience any reading difficulties Flags to Library staff that students entitled to
extended loan periods for short loan materials
Students do not have to ask for this facility Epixtech asked to make a small change to
Dynix
Library Record Alterations
House Keeping Tasks: Information Services
Where applicable print credit pricing system altered for students with visual impairments / reading difficulties Helpful to students
Seamless process, they do not have to ask for their entitlement
Programmed 50% reduction in print credit purchases
Access to Library Stock
Students / staff notify the issue desk before 12:00 of items they require
Materials available for collection after 17:00
Weekend service on demand Students required to check Library
catalogue Available from any PC in the world with an
Internet connection
Access to Library Stock
Short loan issue periods extended for disabled students & members of staff 6 hours compared with 3 No difference in overnight short loans All students can book short loan items via
the catalogue, subject to availability Disabled students & staff do not have
access to priority bookings for any Library materials
Renewal Policies
Library catalogue “Webpac” has the facility for off-campus renewals Disabled students & staff entitled to
remotely renew item(s) up to four times E-mail and phone renewals service also
available Other students and staff can only
remotely renew an item once, before presenting the item to staff at the issue desk
Printing and Photocopying
Disabled students encouraged by Student Services to apply for “Disability Grant” Part of the grant allocation includes an
allowance for photocopying costs Therefore we cannot offer a reduction in
photocopying costs for disabled students Disabled students do receive printing
credits at reduced cost Automatically set up in the print credit software
Printing and Photocopying
Laser printer accessibility Print station / Printer in level 2, has
been placed on furniture at wheel chair height
Assistance on request for colour printing
Printing and Photocopying
Photocopying Difficult to find a photocopier that is
designed to meet the needs of people with mobility difficulties
Assistance with photocopying in line with access to library stock
Advanced notice is required i.e. before 12:00 Photocopies available for collection at 17:00 Students must clearly state what they require,
and supply Library staff with a photocopy card
Inter Library Loans
Accessing Inter Library Loans Prepaid voucher system Posted to the Library, accompanied with ILL
form (including copyright declaration) 50 pence charge per item, applies to all
students Future developments
Providing disabled students with access to the electronic Inter Library Loan request service
http://illos.tay.ac.uk
PC Access
Disabled students have priority access to PCs in the Library, level 1
Future development Roll-out screen savers onto these PCs
reminding other students that they should be prepared to find another PC if requested to do so
PC Access
Wordsmith (Read & Write) Software package designed to help people
using Microsoft Word, with reading and writing difficulties
Speech facility (speak as you type) / Also works with IE
Text reader (enlarged text displays, can work with other documents and Web pages)
Homonyms facility (their / there) Package to be installed on all core lab PCs
throughout the U.A.D campus Target date September 2002
Additional Services
Aladdin text reader available on level 2 of the Library
Coloured overlays available for loan Blue, green, yellow, pink
Member of staff working towards British Sign Language signer
Promotion of Facilities
Important that students are made aware of the services and facilities to which they are entitled
Students have one-to-one meeting with John Petrie Briefed on the range of services / support
available to them Includes Library and C&IT services Liaison with Information Services staff before this
process starts each session
Promotion of Facilities
Fact sheet on Library facilities produced and reviewed each year In the process of being published on the
Internet Induction Pack
Provides an overview of Library & IT services to all new students
Large print version available Colleagues sought advice from the RNIB on
typography
Promotion of Facilities
Named contacts within Information Services Sheila Whyte & Jackie Morton Contact details given to all disabled
students at U.A.D Students encouraged to talk with
Sheila / Jackie about any aspects of the Library and its services
Student & Staff Feedback
Students encouraged to give feedback on all of our services Informal feedback from students and
staff very useful Information Services also receives
informal feedback on the provision of its services to disabled users via Student Services
Student & Staff Feedback
Limited formal feedback mechanisms Useful to develop these further Discussions on-going on the best data
collection method e.g. questionnaires may not be very helpful for students with any visual impairment, or who experience any difficulty in reading
Recorded interview / questionnaire mix?
Internal Communications
Information from Student services, staff development
activities, external courses, publications…
Sheila Whyte (Senior Information Officer) Briefs staff responsible for front line library
services: Information Officers, Library Assistants, Evening & weekend staff
Information Manager Library Facilities Management Team, also briefed
Internal Communications
Room for improvement? Academic Librarians do not always
receive timely briefings in the disability arena
IT Help desk Copyshop
Useful to close this loop
The Planning Process
Largely based upon input from Advice from Student Services
Especially legislative requirements Informal feedback from students Staff experience
Working with students / staff External courses / staff development activities
Look to improve existing services New service developments
Where identified, built into the appropriate team plan
Next Steps
Adaptation of electronic services Much work done on “traditional” Library
services Collection development policy shift to
electronic resources Must make these services accessible New Library system / catalogue E-mail request / delivery service for full text
journals? Revise the Virtual Library
Next Steps
Electronic services Accessibility of materials published on
the U.A.D Internet and Intranet David Hume, E-learning Support Officer
Service development / planning Looking to be more proactive
“Anticipatory response towards disabled students at large”
Questions