Availability and use of information and communication technologies for the visually impaired at selected public libraries in South Africa

Abstract

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.