Abstract
The article discusses the library and information problems of visually handicapped sttedents, and how academic libraries can help solve these problems with examples of present practices in some British university libraries. The term "visually handicapped students" is taken to mean students who are unable to study or work by visual methods.
Visually handicapped students are allowed to choose their course and academic institute themselves and are scattered in very small groups throughout a large number of institutes, and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) is unable to meet the students' specialised individual requirements from stock or by producing material quickly enough. Present liaison between academic departments and the RNIB only partly solves the problem, and inter-library co-operation is hampered by poor bibliographic control.
On campus, students need to have material rend for them, and must recruit and organize their readers. They study more slowly than sighted students because of the difficulties of using print equivalent media and their inability to use library facilities fully by themselves.
Academic libraries can help by being aware of official institute policy towards handicapped students, providing an individualized educational programme, sound-proofed rooms or carrels and by adapting lending policy where possible. Although the libraries' role consists primarily of reader services to their own students, the conclusion suggests a role for them in the future provision of print equivalent study material.
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