Online databases and the research experience for university students with print disabilities

Dermody, Kelly; Majekodunmi, Norda

doi:10.1108/07378831111116976

Cited by 36 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Their self-efficacy as independent learners is challenged every time they encounter an unreadable PDF or take up to eight hours to find four articles. 48 Universal design is a concept that originated in architecture and the built environment. Perhaps its most cited example and metaphor is the curb cut, mandated and designed for wheelchairs but appreciated by anyone with a stroller, shopping cart, bicycle, or rolling suitcase.…”

Section: December 2012 Research Library Issues: a Quarterly Report Frmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2012

RLI

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Language 29T he ARL Joint Task Force on Services to Patrons with Print Disabilities released this report to bring much-needed attention to the challenges of print-disabled individuals who are seeking access to both print and digital library products and services. Print disabilities prevent some users from effectively reading information resources because of visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive, or learning disabilities. The task force expands upon the ongoing work of the Library Copyright Alliance in support of an international instrument for the print disabled that is under active consideration by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It also brings attention to the growing demand for instructional e-content and burgeoning digital library collections and the opportunities for collaboration among university leadership, research libraries, disability services, and information technology services.The report contains nine recommendations for research libraries to make information accessible to their full range of diverse users equitably. In particular, the report focuses on critical partnerships necessary to fully exploit the opportunities of digital information resources to open an unprecedented quantity of information to print-disabled patrons. The report also includes practical recommendations for individual institutions to improve responsiveness and organizational capacity to address the needs of this community more effectively. ARL believes that research libraries are poised to provide critical direction-along with academic leadership, IT, and disability serviceson the service and technology planning, procurement, and licensing necessary to create a fully accessible information environment.Members of the task force were Mary Case (Illinois at Chicago), Chair; Cynthia Archer (York); Nancy Baker R esearch libraries have a responsibility to make library collections and services universally accessible to their patrons. Doing so is consonant with research library community values and is also necessary in order to comply with long-standing legal requirements. The role of research libraries has changed dramatically with the adoption of information technologies and network-based services, and these technologies are similarly transforming education at all levels.Both the utilization of these technologies and the digital revolution in publishing have been key drivers in transforming research libraries and their role in the teaching and research ecosystem. IT, networked services, and digital publishing have also spurred access to the growing corpus of digital resources. And as research libraries provide more content electronically to students, faculty members, researchers, and others, the role of libraries and other partners in their institutions and beyond is changing in the provision of information resources and services to patrons with disabilities. Whereas in the past, institutional offices of disability services were the primary facilitators of access to needed research resources an...

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Section: December 2012 Research Library Issues: a Quarterly Report Frmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2012

RLI

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“…10 Dermody and Majekodunmi found that students were hindered by advanced database features intended to improve general users' experiences. 11 Disabled students were also confronted with excessive links, unreadable links, and inaccessible PDFs.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Evaluation of Finding Aid Accessibility for Screen Readers

Southwell

Slater

2013

ITAL

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“…11 Similarly, Dermody and Majekodunmi found that students with print-related disabilities who use screen-reading software could only complete 55 percent of tasks successfully because of accessibility barriers and usability challenges. 12 DeLancey surveyed vendors and examined VPATs, or product accessibility claims, and found that vendors felt they were compliant with 64 percent of US Section 508 items. 13 Especially relevant to this study, only 23 percent of vendors said that the multimedia content within their products was compliant, and 46 percent admitted multimedia content was not compliant at all.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%