Enhancing Access to Knowledge for People with Disabilities in the Information Age: The University Of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Experience

Abstract

The paper investigated the access to knowledge for disabled students at University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The paper adopted a descriptive survey design to explore the ways of enhancing access to knowledge for people with disability in the information age. The population of the study was made up of fifty disabled students made up of 26 visually impaired, 10 physically impaired, 11 hearing impaired and 3 language impaired students. 36 are male and 14 are females. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire. Fifty questionnaires were distributed but only thirty were collected back. Mean and percentages were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that there are no equipments for the hearing impaired, physically impaired and language impaired. Assistive technologies are out of use and in most cases unavailable. Staff and students are not supportive or accommodating. The paper recommends that the library should construct/build ramps in order to ease mobility problem for the disabled in the library and that the library management should acquire current materials/technologies for disabled students in order to enhance access to knowledge for all.