Information Scotland

The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

October 2004 Volume 2 (5)

Aiming Higher

Aiming for universal access

In the first of a new column on issues in higher education libraries, Catherine Nicholson looks at the activities of the SCURL Special Needs Group.

The introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) has had a major impact on libraries across the sectors. The Special Needs Group of the Scottish Confederation of University & Research Libraries (SCURL) has been working collaboratively for the past three years in support of the legislation with a stated aim "to provide and improve services and facilities for users with special needs in SCURL member libraries aiming towards universal accessibility."

The group has a number of key objectives:

To co-ordinate information on services and facilities available for users with special needs in SCURL libraries
To raise awareness of good practice guidelines
To disseminate information from official agencies and respond as appropriate
To act as a pressure group to improve provision for users with special needs
To encourage the sharing of equipment and/or software
To explore the potential for collaborative purchasing in this area
To collaborate, where possible, in project bids or funding applications
To determine training requirements and advise on how these can be progressed
To build links with other organisations working in the same area

Activities

In the last two years the group has

Met twice yearly with meetings circulated among the member institutions. Meetings include talks by specialist speakers and a visit to the local Assistive Technology Centre or other facilities or services for disabled users.
Established a Steering Group to drive forward the agenda between meetings
Set up a JISCMAIL discussion list for members. It was recognised at an early stage that institutions were at differing levels of development. The discussion list provides a useful means of gathering and disseminating information and enabling mutual support and encouragement between meetings.
Developed a dedicated website hosted and maintained by the Centre for Digital Library Research on behalf of the group (http://scurl.ac.uk/WG/SNG).
Minutes and documents can be found here and a links page lists sites identified by our members as the most useful to them in their work.
Produced a new edition of an earlier publication to assist library staff support their disabled users. This publication Supporting Library Users with Disabilities: a guide for front-line staff had its official launch in Dundee University on 9 September 2004. Originally produced in 1998 as a result of the SCONUL Award Scheme but still in demand, it was updated to take account of recent changes in legislation and the focus was altered to extend its use beyond higher education. The booklet is divided into two sections: the first gives practical advice for front-line staff and the second provides guidelines on running a training day based on the authors' own experience. Funded by SCURL and SLIC, the booklet is available both on the website and in hard copy.
Conducted an audit of special needs equipment and services in SCURL libraries. This exercise was fundamental to establish provision and determine future priorities. The audit is divided into four sections: general, physical, assistive technology and service provision and will be updated bi-annually. SCURL libraries vary in size, members and missions, and this is reflected in the audit results. However, the audit can be used to benchmark member libraries' provision in equipment and services and identify market leaders in specific areas of assistive technology.
It is hoped that the audit template might be rolled out to other sectors to enable a better picture of provision to be established at local, regional or national level.
Continued to liaise with other groups across the UK with a representative attending the CLAUD annual conference. This year's conference focused on making library buildings accessible and a conference report is given at the autumn meeting and made available on the website.

Success factors

The success of the Special Needs Group is due to a number of factors:

Increasing support for initiatives to improve provision for disabled users
Awareness of the legal and political drivers
History of collaborative working in SCURL member libraries and strong sense of community
Support and encouragement of SCURL Directors

But the most important factor by far is the enthusiasm and commitment of the members who welcome the opportunity to make a difference.

Catherine Nicholson is SCURL Development Director.

Information

Print copies of Supporting Library Users with Disabilities available price £10 (incl p&p) from: Sandra Charles, Library, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN.

Information Scotland Vol. 2 (5) October 2004

Information Scotland is delivered online by the SAPIENS electronic publishing service based at the Centre for Digital Library Research. SLAINTE (Scottish libraries across the Internet) offers further information about librarianship and information management in Scotland.

Last updated: 9 November 2004