ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY FOR SUPPORTING HANDICAPPED PERSONS IN THE LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Availability and use of information are fundamental human right issues as contained in articles 19 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 10th December 1948. In this information age, there is the need, now more than ever, to equip people with skill and means to become information literate and to enable them locate, access and evaluate information without discrimination. This is in line with the major objectives of inclusive education, equality of education, education for all and library and information service for all, which are all enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and National Policy on Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The knowledge society also demands that all citizens, including the physically challenged, should have access to full information. This is the basis for enabling people, especially the physically challenged, to participate as active citizens since they need to make informed choices and decisions and to act on them. Availability and use of relevant, accurate and current library resources and services by the physically challenged are veritable means of developing human resources and accentuating sustainable self-reliance and national development.

Disabilities are many including visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive and language, and speech disabilities. The ones covered in this work, which were selected because according to Quality Assurance Agency (2010) they are more prevalent in regular tertiary institutions, are physical and mobility impairment, visual impairment (total blindness) and hearing impairment (deaf and dumb). Physical and mobility impairment include crippling disabilities, wheel chair bound, students with crutches, amputees, students with artificial hand(s) and or leg(s) and dwarfs. The problems they encounter in the library include navigating through the library and its environment, picking books from the shelves, using other general facilities that may be designed for the able-bodied ones. The hearing impaired on their own part cannot recognise spoken words. Their characteristics include lack of response to spoken words, indifference to sounds and noise. The visually impaired on their part have visual disabilities in reading coupled with general navigation problems. Visually impaired persons may need someone to read for them. They may also have difficulty in coping with reading small print materials, especially, if impairment is partial. This category of people cannot read the conventional print materials. They need to be provided with reading materials in alternative formats, which they can read at their own, pace and time. Library services for this category  of physically challenged persons require extensive resources and well-trained staff. Visually impaired persons may depend on Braille books, talking books, sonic guide, mowart sensor etc for reading and movement around the library since movement may also pose serious challenges.

Physically challenged persons constitute an important proportion of the general population. With the increasing life expectancy in most parts of the world and the dramatic pace of urbanization in some African countries, including Nigeria (particularly South-East Nigeria) the population of physically challenged persons is increasing concomitantly. Today, a great number of persons with disabilities are trying to acquire tertiary education in institutions of higher learning including polytechnics.

Polytechnics are institutions of higher education, which offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses and may take up some sponsored research (McCartney, 1990). The polytechnic is therefore any institution of higher learning offering a variety of scientific, technological and business diploma programmes at the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels. The core objectives of polytechnics as provided in National Policy on Education of Federal Government of Nigeria (2004) are to provide full time and part time courses and training in engineering, technology, applied science, commerce, management, natural science and agricultural distribution leading to the production of trained manpower. These courses provide the technical knowledge and skills necessary for agricultural, industrial, commercial and economic development of Nigeria, and training to impact the necessary skills for production of technicians, technologists and other skilled personnel who shall be enterprising and self reliant.

The establishment of this sector of higher education in Nigeria was necessitated by the realization of the urgent need for indigenous technical and middle level manpower for speedy technological and industrial take-off in the country. It is against the need expressed above that the objectives of polytechnics have been set. These are to provide students opportunity for training and acquisition of techniques in applied science, engineering and commerce as well as in other spheres of learning. This work is focused on polytechnics because; the researcher observed the problem of the study in some polytechnics and also because the available literatures in the area indicate paucity of research reports on physically challenged polytechnic students. Similar studies have been done on the universities, though it was not in the same environment or area of study.

There are eight polytechnics in the Southeast- Nigeria (National Board for Technical Education, 2010). These institutions also train a reasonable number of physically challenged persons. It is understandable that there are reasonable number of students who are physically disabled in the polytechnics and colleges. Echezona, Osadebe and Asogwa-Eze (2009) confirmed this when they stated that in educational institutions today, the number of people who have disability is growing. They observed that the increase in number of persons with disabilities in the regular tertiary institutions arose from the need for mainstreaming persons with disabilities as the era of sending them to rehabilitation centres was not only over and outdated but very ineffective. Echezona et al (2009) pointed out that, generally, the reasons adduced for the increasing number of physically challenged in the society include: increase in population, availability of medical technology which are increasing the chances of survival of infants with disabilities, and health care is becoming more expensive, thereby putting more children at risk during birth. They also said that the major causes of increasing rate of disability in developing countries include malnutrition, communicable diseases and accident, which are responsible for about one-third of all disabilities. Increase in road crash in recent times has led to more accident victims who become physically challenged. The pitiable conditions of major link roads in the southeast make this problem very prevalent. This is also coupled with the menace, recently, caused by increased use of motor cycle popularly called “Okada” as means of transportation in the southeast with the concomitant increase in “Okada” accident victims. In the face of increasing number of disabled persons in institutions of learning including polytechnics, it should be noted that the disability not withstanding, they also need library and information resources and services for their studies.

It is therefore imperative that every educational institution, including polytechnics, should have a functional library manned by a professional librarian. The student or researcher with access to good and functional polytechnic library can learn and be judged on his skill in clarifying a problem, collecting information relative to its solution and coming up with conclusions. Such student or researcher will have acquired the basic foundation for independent learning. All these are true of all polytechnic students, including the physically challenged ones.

Libraries in the polytechnics owe it as a duty to provide special library services to persons with disabilities who like every one else have to be provided with relevant opportunities necessary to make them participate actively and become productive members of the society. Librarians in the polytechnic institutions must be aware of the Nigerians with Disability Decree (NWDD) (1993) which places statutory duties on organizations, including libraries, to make reasonable adjustment in the form of special library services to meet the needs of the disabled people.

Making available and accessible library resources and services for these less privileged people with a view to making them to be better informed and be more useful and productive is necessary if the much envisaged sustainable development is to be realized. Neglecting the physically challenged in the polytechnic community, who constitute an integral part of the students’ population, no matter their number, is tantamount to under utilization and wastage of human resources and under utilization of services. This will be counter productive as it is capable of drawing them back in their bid to contribute to national development through acquiring relevant manpower training needed for self reliance and survival of the individual and the society as contained in the National Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004). Aina (1995) and Akinpelu (1998) speculate that physically challenged students in Nigerian tertiary institutions start with the same qualification as other students but encounter barriers to learning, including the utilization of library services and facilities, which result in poor academic achievement.

This study intends to examine the extent of availability and utilization of polytechnic library resources and services by physically challenged students. Availability, in this work, relates to the library resources and services for students with disabilities being physically present in the libraries under study. Accessibility relates to the ability of this user group to reach, see and feel the presence of library resources and services in a cost effective manner. It also implies ability to enter the libraries without facing any physical or environmental barriers. The library resources include information resources and other support resources and facilities in the library that can enhance access and utilization. These library resources include Braille books, talking books, twin-vision books, large print materials, tactile or raised surfaces, talking computer, moon types, CDs/DVDs, laser cane, Sonic guide, Computer Braille, tape recordings etc for the visually impaired. Other ones like height-adjustable catalogues, Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACS), microform projector, close circuit television, computers with adaptive keyboards etc are for the orthopaedic and mobility impaired while induction loop, audiological devices, sign language videos, VCDs/DVD, OPACS, text telephone, etc are for the hearing impaired. This is in addition to other general resources such as journals, microforms, newspapers, government documents, reference materials, and recreational materials etc, which are also needed by them. Other support resources and facilities that can enhance utilization of library resources and services include accessible study tables, study rooms and carrels, directional signposts, ramps, handrails, wheel-chair accessible pathways, automatic doors, street-level entrance, kick-step, etc. The services which should be available include extended loan, waived overdue fine, borrowing by proxy, inter library loan, study rooms, photocopying, online reference services, Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), Current Awareness Services (CAS), book retrieval, search request assistance, voluntary readers etc.

Utilization will be seen as the possibility to make effective and independent use of the resources and services and by extension, the utilitarian value of the resources and services to intended users. The basic assumption is that there is connectivity between availability and accessibility on one hand and utilization on the other hand. Provision of information is primary, but it does not guarantee its use. Thus library resources may be available, but are  not accessible and thus effective utilization will be in vain. Others may be available and accessible but are still not utilized to the advantage of the library user group. Library resources must be available, accessible and utilized by the students with disabilities to meet their reading interests, which are varied. They need information on how to cope with their disabilities in the business of daily lives, educational opportunities, job careers, politics and governance, socio-cultural and bibliotherapy information.

Poor provision and use of information resources and services have a resultant effect on the quality of life of the persons with disabilities and overall societal development. It becomes imperative that provision of the polytechnic library resources and services should reflect established international standards for libraries that are disability- friendly, if they must serve very well all the members of the polytechnic community. It is also worthy of note that international policies and standards for libraries that are disability- friendly have been qualitative rather than quantitative, as shown by the Collection Building Policy of National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of Library of Congress (2009), International Federation of Library Association (IFLA) Access to Libraries for Persons with Disabilities Checklist (2005), American Library Association guidelines and standards for library services for people with disabilities (2001) and Australian Library Association Standards for academic libraries serving patrons with disabilities (1998). Thus, the standards do not give the quantity of the resources in measurable terms; rather they are mere enumeration of the resources and facilities to be acquired by libraries that are disability- friendly.

Statement of the Problem

The physically challenged students in polytechnic institution need library and information resources and services like their able-bodied counterparts. These students need to have equal access to library and information resources to meet with their academic work and other information needs. If the physically challenged students in the polytechnic institutions do not have equal access to and use of library and information resources, it will result in poor educational outcomes and general poor quality of life on their part. Provision and effective use of library and information resources and services enhance the rights of the physically challenged to participate equally in societal development.

Information received during the pre-research discussion with some professional colleagues indicates that student population in the polytechnics is becoming more diverse with an increasing number of physically challenged students and that polytechnic libraries do not show enough commitment to providing resources and services that will meet the needs of the students with disabilities. This fact is corroborated by the researcher’s observation that the physically challenged students are not put into consideration in programme planning. Besides, few researches have been carried out on physically challenged and library programme planning in terms of architectural designs, resources and services provision, accessibility and utilization and there is also not much on the information services for physically challenged polytechnic students.

Further pre-research discussions with this important user group and some librarians in the polytechnic system corroborated this. Several authors such as Badawi (1994), Aramide and Bolarinwa (2010) have reported on the availability and use of library resources by students; some other authors like Kaijage (1993), Aina (1996), Onadiran (1998), Atinmo (2000), Eisenman (2005) and Forrest (2005) also have written on the provision of library services for the physically disabled students, though not in polytechnics. These studies did not investigate the availability and utilization of library resources and services by physically challenged students. Again, the researchers did not investigate the level of awareness of polytechnic librarians on the services of physically challenged students. In view of the shortcomings and gaps in the previous studies there is a pressing need to also conduct research on the Adaptive Equipment Technology For Supporting Handicapped Persons In The Library Environment in the southeast, Nigeria which is the focus of this study.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of the study is to investigate Adaptive Equipment Technology For Supporting Handicapped Persons In The Library Environment in Southeast Nigeria.

The specific objectives include:

1. To identify the types of library resources available to the visually, mobility and hearing challenged polytechnic students in Southeast, Nigeria.

2. To identify the types of library services available to the visually, mobility and hearing challenged polytechnic students in Southeast Nigeria.

3. To find out the extent of use of library resources by the visually, mobility and hearing challenged polytechnic students in Southeast Nigeria.

4. To find out the extent of use of library services by the visually, mobility and hearing challenged students in the polytechnics under study.

5. To determine the level of awareness of polytechnic librarians on the library services for these physically challenged students in the polytechnic under study.

Research Questions

This study will be guided by the following research questions.

1. What are the types of library resources available to the visually, mobility and hearing challenged polytechnic students in Southeast, Nigeria?

2. What are the types of library services available to the visually, mobility and hearing challenged polytechnic students in Southeast, Nigeria?

3. What is the extent of use of library resources by the visually, mobility and hearing challenged polytechnic students in Southeast Nigeria?

4. What is the extent of use of library services by the mobility, hearing, and visually challenged students in polytechnics under study?

5. What is the level of awareness of polytechnic librarians on library services for these physically challenged students in the polytechnics under study?

Research Hypotheses

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean responses, on the extent of utilization of library resources, by mobility challenged students in the 8 polytechnic libraries under study.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean responses, on the extent of utilization of library resources, by the hearing challenged students in the 8 polytechnic libraries under study.

Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean responses, on the extent of utilization of library resources, by the visually challenged students in the 8 polytechnic libraries under study.

Ho4: There is no significant difference in the mean responses on the extent of utilization of library services by the mobility challenged polytechnic students in the 8 polytechnic libraries under study.

Ho5: There is no significant difference in the mean responses on the extent of utilization of library services by the visually challenged students in the 8 polytechnic libraries under study.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be significant to the polytechnic librarians, special educators, physically challenged students and other researchers in the following ways.

First, this study will help polytechnic librarians in particular and all other librarians in the area of identifying the special library services offers to be made for physically challenged user group in their communities. Thus, it will make them to be pro-active in providing adequate resources and services that will serve the interest of the user groups. It will expose the polytechnic librarians on the need to make available educational media that will enhance service-delivery to the disabled library users and also bring out the basic problems encountered by these set of students in the course of using the library. By conducting this research where the disabled students who use the polytechnic libraries have a direct  say in the sufficiency and use of existing resources, services and facilities provided by the libraries,

and allowing for suggestions for the future will place the polytechnic librarians in a better position to serve this user group.

Moreover, it will also change the attitude of polytechnic librarians towards the physically challenged, having learned that they have the same rights like others. This will lead to effective library management on the part of the librarians working in the polytechnic libraries. In other words, it will help all library managers to create an enabling environment to achieve the aim of equal access and opportunities in library services to all library users without discrimination even in the face of dwindling financial resources.

Again, it will also help special educators in the area of providing adequate special education services and inclusive education best practices for the disadvantaged students. Moreover, it will aid social workers and government policy makers in the area of making adequate provision for the disabled students in the larger society by understanding the information needs and peculiar problems of the persons with disabilities.

Scope/Limitation of the Study

This study is restricted to availability and utilization of library resources and services by physically challenged students in Southeast states of Nigeria, which are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. “Availability” is strictly restricted to physical presence while “utilization” relates to the possibility of the materials and services being in usable formats, frequency of use and utilitarian value of the resources and services.

The study covered the eight polytechnic libraries in South-East Nigeria namely Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Federal Polytechnic Okoh, Federal Polytechnic Unwana, IMT Enugu, Abia State Polytechnic Aba, OSISTECH Enugu, Imo State Polytechnic Ohaji- Umuagwo, and Temple Gate Polytechnic Abayi-Osisioma, while the respondents were all students with either hearing, mobility or visual disabilities in the polytechnics in one hand and the librarians in the polytechnic libraries under study on the other hand.