Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are crucial in ensuring that the visually
impaired (VIPs) maximally benefit from services rendered by public libraries. Without ICTs, the
VIPs are disadvantaged in accessing public libraries’ information and services. However, their
availability enables this user group to enjoy both the freedom of independence and choice in public
library services, thus, making it easy for them to search and surf for digital information available
online. Nevertheless, notwithstanding their enabling capacity, this equipment and service is hardly
available in most public libraries, and where they are available, they are underutilised and/or harldy
utilised. This study, therefore, intended to establish the availability and use of ICTs for the visually
impaired in selected public libraries in South Africa. This was necessary in order to support the
demand for public libraries’ continued investment in ICTs where they were available and used,
and to make recommendations, on what should be done to ensure their availability and use where
they were not. Mixed methods research (MMR) was adopted in this study, with a qualitative phase
corroborating the findings of initial quantitative study. A pragmatic paradigm was used to underpin
the study, while triangulation of data collection instruments was adopted using a questionnaire and
interview schedule to solicit data from librarians and visually impaired users respectively. This
study has revealed that some limited ICTs equipment and services were available at a few of the public libraries under study. This include: braille displayer, CDs, DVDs, DAISY players,
computers with internet facilities, tape recordings, scanners, screen readers, screen magnifiers,
email and fax services. However, the use of this equipment and service in libraries was inadequate.
The study recommends that ICTs ‘procurement, proper marketing and ICTs training of staff and
users should be prioritised so that the availability and use of ICTs in libraries could be improved.
A further full-scale study on the effectiveness of public libraries ICTs on library services for the
visually impaired in South Africa is recommended.
Ubuchwepheshe bezokwazisa kanye nokuxhumana (ICT) bubalulekile ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi
abantu abangaboni kahle (VIPs) bazuza ngokugcwele emisebenzini eyenziwa ngumtapo wolwazi
womphakathi. Ngaphandle kwe-ICTs, i-VIPs awakwazi ukuthola ulwazi kanye nezidingoabasuke
bezidinga kuleyo mtapo yolwazi yomphakathi. Kodwa-ke, ukuba khona kwabo kwenza leli qembu
labasebenzisi lijabulele kokubili inkululeko yokuzimela nokuzikhethela lokhu abasuke bekudinga
emtapweni wolwazi womphakathi, lokhu, kwenza kubelula kubona ukuthi bacinge futhi baphume
bengene ku-internet befuna ulwazi lwe-digital olukhona. Noma kunjalo, ngaphandle kokufinyeza
igalelo labo, le mishini kanye nensizakalo azitholakali emitapweni yolwazi eminingi yomphakathi,
futhi lapho ikhona, ayisetshenziswa futhi/noma ayisebenziseki. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo luhlose
ukuthola ubukhona nokusetsenziswa kwe-ICTs kubantu abangaboni kahle emitapweni yolwazi
yomphakathi ekhethiwe eNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu kwakudingeka ukuze kusekelwe isidingo
sokuqhubeka nokutshalwa kwezimali emitapweni yolwazi yomphakathi ye-ICT lapho kutholakala
khona futhi kutshenziswa, kuphinde kweziwe nezincomo, ngalokho okumele kwenziwe ukuze
kuqinisekiswe ubukhona nokusetshenziswa kwazo lapho zingasetshenziswanga khona.
Ucwaningo lwezindlela ezixubile (MMR) lwasetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo, ngesigaba sokuqoqa ulwazi ngamagama esivumelana nokutholwa kolwazi kusetshenziswe izibalo noma izinamba. Ipragmaticparadigm
yasetshenziswa ukusekela ucwaningo, lapho itriangualtion eyithuluzi
lokuqoqa ulwaziyasetshenziswa ngokusebenzisa imibuzo kanye nengxoxo eyenzelwe ukuqinisa
ulwazi kubasebenzi basemtapweni wolwazi nabasebenzisi abangaboni kahle ngokukhethekile.
Lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi eminye imishini ye-ICT kanye nezinsizakalo ezilingene zitholakala
emitapweni yolwazi yomphakathi embalwa ngaphansi kocwaningo. Lokhu kufaka phakathi:
isibonisi se-braille, ama-CD, ama-DVD, abadlali be-DAISY, amakhompyutha anezikhungo zeinternet,
amarekhodi okuqopha, ama-scanner, abafundi bezikrini, abakhulisa isikrini, izinsizakalo
ze-meyili nezikhahlamezi. Noma kunjalo, ukusetshenziswa kwalesi sakhiwo nemisebenzi
emitapweni yolwazi kwakunganele. Ucwaningo luncoma ukuthengiswa kwe-ICTs, ukumaketha
okulungile kanye nokuqeqeshwa kwabasebenzi kanye nabasebenzisi be-ICT kufanele
kubesemqoka ukuze ukutholakala nokusetshenziswa kwe-ICT emitapweni yolwazi
kuthuthukiswe. Ucwaningo oluqhubekayo olugcwele ngokusebenza kwe-ICT emtapweni wolwazi
womphakathi ngezidingo zomtapo wolwazi zabantu abangaboni eNingizimu Afrika
luyancomeka.
Tshomedzo dza vhudavhadzani (ICT) dzi na tshiteṅwa tsha ndeme kha u khwathisedza uri
tshumelo dza laiburari dza tshitshavha dzi swikelelee nga vhathu vha re na vhuholefhali ha mato.
U shaea ha zwishumiswa zwa ICT zwi ita uri vha vhuholefhali ha mato vha kundelwe u swikelela
tshumelo dza laiburari. U wanala ha tshomedzo dza ICT laiburari dza tshitshavha zwi ita uri vha
vhuholefhali ha mato vha kone u ditodela ndivho ine vha i toda. Naho zwi khagala uri
zwishumiswa izwi zwi a kona u khwinisa matshilo a vha re na vhuholefhali ha mato kha u
swikelela ndivho, vhunzhi ha laiburari dza tshitshavha a dzi nazwo. Hune zwa vha hone, a zwi tou
shumiswa ngauralo nahone a zwi dzhielwi ntha. Ndi nga kha izwi iyi thodisiso yo tielwa u kona u
todisisa vhuhone ha zwishumiswa izwi zwa ICT kha laiburari dzo nangiwaho dza tshitshavha
fhano Afrika Tshipembe. Ndi zwa ndeme uri thodisiso iyi i itwe u kona u tikedza thodea ya u
dzhiela ntha zwishumiswa zwa ICT kha laiburari dza tshitshavha. Thodisiso i tama u ita
themendelo dza zwine zwa nga itwa uri zwishumiswa zwa ICT zwi wanale nahone zwi dovhe zwi
shumiswe nga laiburari dzine dza si vhe nazwo. Thodisiso yo shumisa ngona mbili, khwalithethivi
na khwanthithethivi. Ngona ya khwalithethivi yo bveledza vhutanzi vhune ha tikedza mawanwa a khwanthithethivi. Kha iyi thodisiso ho shumiswa thanganelano ya tshomedzo dza u kuvhanganya
ndivho dza khwalithethi na khwanthithethivi. Naho dzinwe laiburari dzi na dziṅwe dza idzi tshomedzo, a dzi tou shumiswa lu fushaho. Ndi ngazwo thodisiso i tshi themendela tshumiso na
nyandadzo ya ICT nga u pfumbudza vhashumi na vhashumisi vha laiburari u shumisa tshomedzo
dza ICT. Izwi zwi do khwinisa u wanala na u shumiswa ha zwishumiswa zwa ICT laiburari. Hu
dovha hafhu ha themendelwa thodisiso yo tandavhuwaho ine ya do sedzesa kha u khwathisedza
uri tshomedzo dza ICT kha laiburari dza tshitshavha dzi a vha thusa naa vhaholefhali vha mato.
