friends (interpersonal) and any unpublished works such as theses and reports (grey literature) some of which were available in the library.
The study revealed that the respondents‟ preferences for particular sources of information were closely linked to the information format preferred because of ease of access. The factors influencing the choice of information sources and formats preferred by the students were largely determined by a number of factors. Most importantly, were the degree of their impairment, the nature of their task at hand and their level of study, hence the discussion in this section will be structured around the students‟ level of study and their degree of visual impairment. However, in the case of UKZN-PMB, although the students had preferences for information sources and formats, they had to use and choose sources and formats that were available for their academic tasks. For example, even though a blind student might prefer to write the examination in Braille, the available formats for examinations in the institution are print, oral and electronic (through the use of JAWS), so their preferences were limited to what was available in the institution.
5.3.1.2.1 Preferred information sources and formats of the
people; hence the urgent need to have a library catalogue that they could access.
Partially sighted people, as Davies (2007) observed, would prefer electronic information over print because the latter slows their reading down and often makes them dependent on other people while the former has an option of enlarging the font size. The dependence of the partially sighted students on other (sighted) students can largely be attributed to the absence of a suitable interface in the library‟s electronic resources, which are supposed to be accessible to all library users.
Print sources of information were also of use to the partially sighted students as they could take library books home, for example, and read them at their own pace. Apart from the fact that the students could read the books at their own pace, they were able to photocopy and enlarge the print of the sections they were interested in. Kailes and Mac Donald (2006) pointed out that many people with visual disabilities have some sight and can read large print material which may be produced using a photocopier or a computer by scanning and enlarging.
The partially sighted undergraduate students had prescribed books placed on Academic Reserve by their lecturers so that they could be used for short periods by many students for their academic tasks. The students said that having the prescribed information sources and some placed on reserve minimised the frustration that they would go through when they tried to get books from the library shelves, which have book labels that are printed in a small font. As much as the prescribed sources were a boon to the undergraduate students, they were still faced with the problem of having a short loan period. The students indicated that the one hour loan period had negative effects on them as they could not read as fast as some sighted friends. At times the students needed to take the books to the DU for scanning so that they could access the information they needed electronically.
The state of affairs at the UKZN-PMB library at the Academic Reserves section has far-reaching implications for the students with visual impairments. Initially this library material was loaned out to students for as long as they needed it and to be used within the library. Additionally the students had the option of booking the item over night if required. With the new library electronic system the books are loaned and
renewed every hour with an option of an overnight loan thereby increasing the circulation of this high demand material.
The disadvantage of the changes that were made at the Academic Reserves with the advent of the new electronic system was that they did not accommodate students with visual impairments whose information needs are not readily met. The visually impaired students, when describing the steps and procedures they had to embark on before using the library material, said they first had to borrow the book, either photocopy or take it to the DU to be scanned, formatted and then have the electronic copy emailed to them so that they could obtain the information in a usable format.
The challenges that the students face point to the need for the library personnel to assess the level and nature of visually impaired students‟ needs. Students‟ information needs differ, as mentioned earlier. For example, what is required for two students both diagnosed as partially sighted will be very different, where one has no central vision and the other no peripheral vision. Large print will assist the former but not the latter.
Having assessed the students‟ needs, principles of universal design that were mentioned in Section 2.2.5.2 would be appropriate. Universal design, according to Abell, Bauder and Simmons (2004), blends educational technology with accessible instructional resources that allow students to control and customise the learning environment to meet their own unique learning style. Universal design principles facilitate inclusive features to information resources and should underpin the design of information systems. The information systems should be flexible enough to be used in the ways preferred by different users and provide them with output in the format required. For example, if students want to print or email information in Braille or large print, the appropriate software should be in place.
Judging from the students‟ choices and preferences regarding information sources and formats, there is a clear indication that their preferences tended more towards electronic sources and format of information, although they said they could also use print information sources with assistive technology.