Assistive Technologies and Special Needs Users in Libraries: Investigating American University of Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined Assistive technologies and special needs users in libraries: investigating American University of Nigeria. The study was guided by four objectives. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the consisted of all library staff of American University of Nigeria. Total enumeration sampling was used to select 7 librarians. A questionnaire was used as the method of data collection and the data was collected online using Google Forms. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, and mean. The findings of the study revealed inadequate availability of assistive technologies in the library studied, low level of utilization of assistive technologies in the library studied. Further, assistive technologies were used only for access to information and readers services and the challenges in the provision and utilization of assistive technologies in AUN library were inadequate power supply, skills by users in using the technologies, inadequate skills by librarians in the use the technologies, inadequate fund for purchase of the technologies and maintenance, inadequate support by librarians to users and availability of assistive technologies. The study recommended that the library should provide enough assistive technologies in the library for inclusion of persons with special needs in the use of the library, library staff should assist persons with special needs to enable them to effectively make use of the available assistive technologies and awareness programs should be put in place by the library to educate users that assistive technologies can be used for different purpose.