Accessible, open and inclusive: How visually impaired people view library and information services and agencies

Reports the key findings from a project, undertaken by the Library and Information Statistics Unit, Loughborough University (LISU) and funded by Resource: The Council for Museums Archives and Libraries, under the auspices of the Share the Vision Programme, to conduct an extensive survey of visually impaired people in the UK, with a view to determining their perceptions, opinions and activities regarding relevant information sources and library services that are available to them. It was hoped that the statistics and findings from the survey would provide useful input to evidence-based decision making and would be acted upon positively. A full report detailing the methodology, findings and recommendations was published in large print and on the World Wide Web http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dils/lisu/public.html. A total of 582 interviews was obtained from a sample of people, the vast majority of whom were registered as either blind or partially sighted. The survey was carried out using a structured interview technique, either face to face with visually impaired people in clubs and drop-in centres across the UK, or by telephone. The survey focused on: levels of use; alternative formats; use of information technology; and user satisfaction. Concludes that there are opportunities for greater cooperation between the various agencies since, in 1999, less than one third of public library authorities reported having working relationships with any of the other providers considered in this study, and this picture had not changed for some years.