Home | Access and Services for people with 
Physical, Sensory and Learning Difficulties (Summary)
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SCOPE

Issues dealt with in this guideline include:
Physical access 
Intellectual access 
Special equipment
Virtual access 
Staff training 
Co-operation

POLICY ISSUES

This guideline is concerned with issues regarding access to information held by or provided through public libraries, museums and archives for disabled people who have difficulty using facilities provided for the general public, This includes people who are temporarily disabled, e.g. through accidents, as well as those with age-related handicaps. 

The term physical impairments refers to reduced mobility, reach, balance, stamina and/or height. Sensory impairments include reduced vision and/or hearing. The term ‘print-disabled’ also covers people with a visual, mental or physical impairment as well as dyslexic persons who encounter difficulties reading conventional print.

Disabled people are a major target in all dimensions of e-Inclusion. IST are especially promising for disabled people as they can assist them in using facilities. 

However, take-up of this potential is subject to two basic conditions: the removal of technical barriers for using IT equipment, and the provision of supportive technologies, software and web-content. The potential may not be realised if disabled people cannot afford supportive technologies or if the accessibility of IST equipment or web-content is not ensured. 

Studies in some Member States (e.g. Sweden, Portugal) underline the persistence of a ´disability gap´. Computer and Internet penetration is considerably lower among disabled people and the usage of on-line services is less intensive. There is to date no uniformity of Government policy across Europe covering the relevant issues (for regional, national and international documents and guidelines, see Annex). However, a number of initiatives have been launched to offer disabled people specific on-line services and incentives for taking-up new IST job opportunities, IST training facilities as well as support schemes for public and private IST access.

Accessing Internet web pages and their content presents a variety of problems for persons with physical, sensory or cognitive impairments. For example, websites may not be compatible with screen readers and other supportive technologies, or provide over-complex multimedia presentations or difficult-to-understand page organisation. Public websites should lead by example by delivering services in a form that is accessible and effectively usable by all. This is a basic condition, for example, for addressing all citizens equally through e-government. 

Many Member States have already launched actions in this respect, but the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines provide a benchmark to measure compliance with the generally accepted principles for such access. These guidelines, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium with the financial support of the European Commission, are recognised as a de facto global standard for the design of accessible websites.

Services provided by public libraries, their accessibility and suitability for disabled people, can be categorised in four main areas: 

• physical access (to buildings, service counters, workstations, reading rooms, shelves etc); 

• intellectual access (to the content of information carriers, including the availability of alternative format materials, adapted workstations and special software);

• training for library staff members in helping disabled people.

• virtual access (to provide access to library services for those not able to visit the actual building. This can include visits to housebound people by volunteers as well as digital access).

Most issues concerning physical access and staff training are equally valid and relevant for museums and archives. However, where intellectual access is concerned, problems and possible solutions for museums and archives differ greatly from those appropriate for public libraries and are not discussed in these guidelines. Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries (UK) has produced some very useful guidelines specifically for museums and archives. 

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Need for improvement 
Since the performance of public libraries is intrinsically linked to their social responsibility, libraries will only perform optimally once they play a catalytic role in the lives of disabled people by facilitating their full participation in society. (See the European Union Disability Strategy http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/disable/strategy_en.htm.)

Disabled people are potential customers and must be taken into account if public libraries are to remain competitive. As the European population ages, increasing numbers of older people will develop visual or other impairments. Public libraries in Europe are running the risk of excluding 10% of Europeans as potential clients unless specific steps are taken. 

Areas for improvement

• Firstly, physical access should be made possible for every member of every community, from those with a (temporarily) reduced ability to walk or orient themselves to those who require the use of a wheelchair. 

• Secondly, libraries must be able to guarantee intellectual access by supplying materials in alternative formats or by providing special technical equipment, in order to make print publications accessible for people with visual or reading impairments and learning difficulties. 

• Thirdly, a culture of disability awareness must be developed with library staff having an effective understanding of the needs of disabled people. Disability awareness training should be an integral part of the initial education of librarians and should also form an element of ongoing staff training.

Access and services in public libraries should be based on three underlying principles: inclusiveness, equity and independence. ‘[Disabled persons] should be included as full users of services through appropriate policies and design; they should have equity of access both to services in general and to information services in particular; they should be able to access and use services independently, without additional intermediaries. Managers who fail to respond to this challenge may effectively be excluding [disabled] people from using library and information services.’ (Library Service Policy and Management. Prof. Andrew McDonald).

For the areas covered in this guideline this means:

Home | Access and Services for people with 
Physical, Sensory and Learning Difficulties (Summary)
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