Abstract:The use of Information and Communication Technologies can be seen as an important factor for social inclusion in its different aspects -economic, social, relational and informational, among others. Inclusion potentiality is even more relevant for groups of people who face limiting life conditions which determine social barriers. This study investigated the social support offered to people with disabilities based on the social network analysis method. The research objective was to make the online support dynami… Show more
“…Therefore, librarians should be trained on how to relate to PWDs. For example, studies have shown that visually impaired people use a more interpersonal medium when seeking information (Caran et al, 2016; Wang and Yu, 2017). It is therefore important that librarians be given periodic training on how best to serve this category of users.…”
A group of the academic library’s vast untapped clientele to whom more attention is now being paid is persons with disability. Drawing from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ checklist on what constitutes disability-friendly libraries, this study sought to ascertain if academic libraries in the Upper East Region of Ghana have made provisions for persons with disability. The research adopted a qualitative approach. The data used for the analysis is drawn from interviews with respondents, the majority of whom were visually or mobility-impaired, who were purposively selected from 11 tertiary institutions. The findings reveal that academic libraries in the Upper East Region have yet to implement the stipulated regulations of the ratified Persons with Disability Act of Ghana. The majority of libraries are inaccessible to persons with disability beyond the main entrance of the libraries. The biggest challenge is the absence of diverse media information for persons with visual and hearing impairments. Also, the findings reveal that library staff lack adequate knowledge of issues relating to persons with disability and their right to access information. The study highlights the challenges which hinder persons with disability from accessing quality information from libraries. The study, therefore, recommends that relevant state institutions be empowered to implement the ratified Persons with Disability Act in Ghana and increase education among stakeholders on the need to improve access to information for persons with disability. Also, there should be increased investment and allocation of funds to libraries to provide for the information needs of persons with disability.
“…Therefore, librarians should be trained on how to relate to PWDs. For example, studies have shown that visually impaired people use a more interpersonal medium when seeking information (Caran et al, 2016; Wang and Yu, 2017). It is therefore important that librarians be given periodic training on how best to serve this category of users.…”
A group of the academic library’s vast untapped clientele to whom more attention is now being paid is persons with disability. Drawing from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ checklist on what constitutes disability-friendly libraries, this study sought to ascertain if academic libraries in the Upper East Region of Ghana have made provisions for persons with disability. The research adopted a qualitative approach. The data used for the analysis is drawn from interviews with respondents, the majority of whom were visually or mobility-impaired, who were purposively selected from 11 tertiary institutions. The findings reveal that academic libraries in the Upper East Region have yet to implement the stipulated regulations of the ratified Persons with Disability Act of Ghana. The majority of libraries are inaccessible to persons with disability beyond the main entrance of the libraries. The biggest challenge is the absence of diverse media information for persons with visual and hearing impairments. Also, the findings reveal that library staff lack adequate knowledge of issues relating to persons with disability and their right to access information. The study highlights the challenges which hinder persons with disability from accessing quality information from libraries. The study, therefore, recommends that relevant state institutions be empowered to implement the ratified Persons with Disability Act in Ghana and increase education among stakeholders on the need to improve access to information for persons with disability. Also, there should be increased investment and allocation of funds to libraries to provide for the information needs of persons with disability.
“…Nowadays, there were many social network research use NodeXL to explore the relationship between users [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Nevertheless, this is the first study exploring how government officials use the Facebook fan page to promote policies and analyze the interaction between agencies and people by using a social network analysis.…”
Background
This study analyzed the interactions between agencies, policies, and the interest of the public using a social network analysis.
Methods
Open data on the 2017 Facebook fan page of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) in Taiwan, including 18,193 messages, were analyzed by conducting a social network analysis, NodeXL (Network Overview, Discovery and Exploration for Excel), creating visualized explorations using size volumes to present the degree of strength between agencies and policies to further calculate the network centrality indicators of agencies and policies.
Results
Agencies of the “Social and Family Affairs Administration” and “Health Promotion Administration” contributed the most policy posts. The policy of “Physical and mental health promotion” entailed the most agencies to be involved. The “Department of Nursing and Health Care” received the largest public response, for which “Long-term care” received the most public interest.
Conclusions
A social network analysis of fan page of Taiwan’s top level health government agency can reveal the government’s most emphasized core policies, the strength of correlations between agencies and policies, and provide an understanding of public interest toward the policies.
“…When they do participate, they share common experiences, societal concerns, and information about disability issues as well as policies that concern them (Stetten et al, 2019). In a case study, the majority of members in a Facebook group for people with visual impairment were found not to actively participate in it by posting (Caran et al, 2016). However, it was suggested that members may have been expressing their emotional support to each other by liking posts (Caran et al, 2016).…”
The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Facebook usage on the quality of life of individuals with visual impairment while also investigating the impact of Facebook communication in comparison with face-to-face communication on quality of life. Ninety-two adult users of Facebook with visual impairment, of whom 46 lived in Greece and 46 lived abroad, participated in this study. Regarding Facebook usage, a questionnaire which investigated the frequency of various aspects of Facebook activity and Facebook communication as well as face-to-face communication was used in this study. Regarding quality of life, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, a single-item happiness scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory were employed to evaluate three different indicators of quality of life. Participants’ quality of life was relatively high. Findings showed that face-to-face communication with friends was a significant predictor of quality of life, while neither Facebook communication nor Facebook usage correlated with any of the indicators of quality of life investigated.
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