ABSTRACT
This study investigates adaptive equipment technology for
supporting handicapped persons in the library environment in southeast,
Nigeria. The study tested five null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. A
descriptive survey design was adopted for the research. The populations of the
study were all the identified students with mobility, hearing and visual
impairments and the professional librarians who were the service providers in
the polytechnic libraries. The total number of professional librarians was 94
and that of the physically challenged students was 1984 from where a sample of
279 was taken. The whole professional librarians were used because the
population was small. The researcher also used Focus Group Discussion (FGD) for
data collection. Three separate groups of physically challenged students
(mobility, visual, and hearing impaired) per institution were used for the FGD.
Two sets of questionnaire for the librarians (AULRSQL) and physically
challenged students (AULRSQPCS) were developed and validated alongside with the
other instrument by 3 experts from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. They were
trial tested using 15 librarians and 7 identified visual, 5 hearing and 8
mobility-impaired students from two polytechnics in south-south Nigeria. The reliability
co- efficient of AULRSQL and AULRQPCS are 0.668 and 0.778 respectively
indicating a high degree of internal consistency. They were obtained by using
Cronbatch Alpha reliability method. The instruments were administered directly
to the librarians, all the identified hearing and visually impaired students
and to 10% of the mobility impaired students selected using proportionately
stratified random sampling technique. However, 82 sets of the questionnaire for
the librarians were returned in usable form, while 164 of the mobility
impaired, 34 of the hearing impaired and 38 of the visually impaired were
returned in useable form. The data from the AULRSQL and AULRSQPCS were analyzed
using frequency tables, percentages, means and standard deviations. The real
limit of numbers (means range) of the nominal value assigned to the scale point
was used and decision was taken by comparing results with the real limit of
numbers. ANOVA was used for testing the formulated hypotheses. Major findings
include that general library materials are available (though some are
outdated), paucity of specialized library resources for the mobility, hearing
and visual impaired students, general lack of support resources in the library
and a high extent of use of available resources and services. Problems of
availability and utilization of library resources and services and the
strategies to curb them were also identified. Recommendations, made include
that more current general library materials be provided in polytechnic libraries,
specialized resources and facilities for the 3 groups of physically challenged
students be provided, and that officers in charge of physically challenged
students be provided immediately.
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.