A study of library/information Services to the visually Handicapped and hearing impaired in Nairobi and its Environs

SERVICES

TO

THE

VISUALLY

HANDICAPPED

AND HEARING

IMPAIRED IN

NAIROBI

AND ITS ENVIRONS

A RESEARCH

SUBMITTED

IN THE FACULTY

OF EDUCATION IN PARTIAL

FULFIME1\JT

OF THE REQUIREMENT

FOR MASTER

OF EDUCATION

D"SGREE

(PTE)

,OF KENYATTA.

UNIVERSIT

'[

BY

Gichuhi, Felistas Astudy oflibrary information services

111~IHIi~lumn~I~~

87/164834

'FELISTAS

M'H1HAKI GIC:IUHI

1986

;-THIS RESEARCH

REPORT

IS

MY

OWN

ORIGINAL

W

ORK AND

HAS

NOT BEEN

PRESENTED

FOR A DEGREE

IN

ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY

~.

FELISTAS

MWIHAKI GICHUHI

"

~.

.'

THIS RESEARCH

REPORT

HAS BEEN SUBMr

.

i

,

TED

., ,",

FOR EXAMINATION WITH MY APPRO

V

AL

AS

A UNIVERSITY

SUPERVISOR

•

.o'

B.Ed.,

M.A.,

D.L.1.S.

LECTURER

IN

LIBRARY

S

TUDIES

KENYATTA

uNIVERSITY_

This work is dedicated to:

My late sister, Teresia N jeri Kirnani , whose memories I shall forever treasure.

Nelson Mukora Mukei , and his wife Jennifer

-mymothe r, without whose foresight, sacrifice, and moral support, I would not have madatt this far in education.

Myhusband, Joseph Alex Gichuhi, who has been my consoler when things go rough. And who may have suffered neglect when wifery and student duties

conflicted.

Our children, NJERI, NGARE, MUKORA, to whom the search for knowledge, should be the beginning of wisdom.

I am deeply fide bted to my supervisor,

.

.

Mr. E. W. Muya for his in.sightfu'l comments and

constructive criticisms without which this work would not be what it is.

To Mrs. Lucy Chege, who typed the project so devotedly for me, I say, thank you.

1

am also grateful to the following people as well

for their interest in and contribution to my academic pursuit and/ or wise coun sel ;

1)

Mr.

J.

R.

Njugun a and Mr.

P. G.

Mwathi of the Library Science Department.

2) Dr. Standa of the Communications and Techn o'logy Depar-ttnen1.

3) Miss MaryNjeri Munuku, of the Co l.Iegecof adul t.S; .Distance Education, Kikuyu ,

And·to the following people fer their invaluable contribution t-owards the success of this project:

4) Mrs.

R.

W. Kang'ethe and Miss Maria Paul of Special Education Department' (Inspectorate Section)

6) Mr. S. K. Tor-o re i, Executive Director, Kenya Society for the Blind.

7) Mr. Chomba-w a=Mun.yi, Chairman Kenya Union of the Blind.

8) Mr. Ongare Owin.o, Library _, Assistant, Kenyatta University.

9) To all. the administrators, Ifbr-a.r-ian s , teachers and students of the institut ion s visited, for their eo-coperation and inte r-est in the project. To them all, and those numerous

OTHERS,

1

say THANK

vou.

£ ./1

Pa~. Dedication

Acknow ledge men ts Table of contents List of T able s

CHAPTER

1 :

THE PROBLEM

1.0

Introduction 1

1.1

Statement of the problem

7

1.2 Purpose and significance of. study 12 1.21 Purpose

1. 22 S ignifican ce

12 I

1.3'

Scope and

Lim

itat ion s

~ 12 )~

.

'11

•

14

;\ Ii

B 11 " CHAPTER

2

:

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.10

Library legislation v

17

in

~

2.1"1

Role of the LibrarY"EducatiOlli/

17

2. 20

Library/Information Service s for

the handicapped (emphasis on the

visually and hearing handtc apped.) . 21

2.3

0

Management of resonrces .

30

2.40

User education

31

Bibliographical reference

33

CHAPTER

3

:

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.

]

.0 Research Design 11-0

3.3.0

The Instruments

42

42

43

45

45

45

46

4

7

47

3.3.1

The Librarian's Questionnaire

3.3.2

The Interview

3.3.3

Observation

3.4.0

.

Procedure for data collecting

.

3.4.1

Admim str-ation of Instruments

3.5.0

Data analysis

3.6.0

Field Problems

3

.6.

1

Time factor

3.6

.

2

Reluctancy to give information !

4

7

I

,!

..

•

\1 ,I 1 ,ANALYSIS AND "PRESENT ATIO 1 CHAPTER

4.:

•

fI .i: Administrator's Unstructured Interview

\49

;

tl

49

OF DATA

4.00

4.10

4.11

Introduc tion

Institutions for the deaf

, ,

~49

4.2

4.21

,

Institutions for the blind

Codes used

57

57

4,22

Administrative Problems

60

4.221

Institution

3

60

4

,

.222

Institution

4

60

4.223

Institution

5

61

4.224

Institution

6

63

4.

30

Qualif'i.cetion.s

a

nd

work experience

1ibrary staff

63

4

.3

3

Clientele catered for

4

.3

4

Type of library and sitting capacity

4

.

35

Adaptability of the facilities to cater

for the blind and the deaf

4

.

351

Adaptability of fe.ci.Ii.ties to cater for the blind

Findings

"4

.

352

Adaptability of facilities to cate .i-deaf patrons

Findings

4

.40

Book materials

4

.50

Periodicals

4

.

6

0

"

Non-book materials

4,6

1

Non=bock Resources available in Resource rooms or classrooms for

the deaf.

4

.'10

4

.71

4

.72

Organisation of resources

Circulation

Reference collection

4

.

73

Special collection _

~

. 74

Char-gin.gsystem

4.

7

5

Library open.ing hours

4

.

76

Number of books borrowed

68

7

0

72

72

72

7

5

I

7

6

I

7

6

;

7

7

,

-il9~

,< '\

"p

82

<i 11 h 9 .11 -il

84

v"","

/

\

88

.

U

92

92

9

4

95

97

100

4

.

77

Whether s ruderrts are allowed to borrow

non-book media

102

. 4

,

7

8

0

Main"and secondary sources of

infor'mation for the blind and par-tiall.y

--'-

-4

.7

8

1

Main sources

₁₀₃

4.7

8

2

Secondary sources

103

4.790

Main and se cond.ar-y sources of

information for the deaf

₁₀₃

4.791

Main sources

103

4.792

Secondary sources

₁₀₃

4.

8

0

Acquisition of resources

103

4.

8

1

Criteria for selection

104

4.

8

2

Inter-library loan

105

4.83

'

Publ.ic library services rendered to

Institution

5

students

105

4.84

Whether Resources are predominantly

local or foreign

106

-

4.85

Rating the usefulness of the library

stock

107

4:85

User Education

110

4.86

1

Kinds of questions students ask

ins id.e the library

110

"

4.9

'

0

The Kenya National Library Service ~

(Headquarters) ''';)"

112

' --~~1-,

:,~

CHAPTr:R

5

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Page

5. 0

Introduction

114

,

-,

5.1

Establishment of libraries in the

sample institutions

115

5.1.

0

The Kenya National Ltbr ai-y Service

115

5.1.

1

'

Instit-utions for the deaf and "L1!.e blind.

116

(v): .)

Page

5.2.1 Print Media 117

5.2 •.2 Non-book media 118

5.3.0 Services rendered by the Libraries 119

5.3.1 Lending Service 119

5.3.2 Reference service 119

5.3.3 External borrowing/Referral Services 120

5.3.4 Openinghours 120

5.3.5. Catering for the specific needs of the

blind and the deaf 121

5.3.6 Se le cttcn and acquisition of Resources 121

5.3.7 User education 122

5.3.

S

The problems expe rienced by the Libraries

i

I

.'

-,

~ I: I' ~

./1

122

126 5.4.0 Conclusions

5.6.0 Recommendations ,11

128

.5.7.0 Suggestions for further study 131

Select Bibliography

Appendix 1

Appendix

2

.(\ppend ix.

3

Appendix

4

·

Table 1

Table 11

"Table 111

Table IV Table V Table VI Table VlI Table VIU Table IX Table X Table

xi

Table XlI

Table XIU

Table XIV

Table XV

Table XVI

Special Education statistics in KenyaCl981)

Subjects taught in institutions for

the deaf

Sources of finance

Number of teaching staff in

the institutions for the blind, and whether

staff have spe cial education training

Information on qualifications and work

work experience of library staff in

institutions for the deaf and the blind

LIBRARY STAFF CATEGORIES

Kinds of Clientele ca.tered for i

I

,. "0 Type of Library and stitting capacity

. 11

I,

How the facilities are adapted to th~ use of

the blind clien te le .Jl 'iI

Library facilities to cater for deaf ?atrons

Print media (Except Periodicals) hd.ld in

institutions for the blind and the deaf

Periodicals prescribed to

Non-book resources

Equipment in Institution 1 and 2 Resour ce

roems/ classrooms for effective teaching

of the deaf

Classification and cataloguing of materials,

and whether access is open or closed

Type of books in reference collection.

93

Table XVll Reserve coIle ccion and reasons for reservation

PagE

Table XVIll Charging system

9

6

Table XIX Library opening hours

98

Table XX Borrowing Regulations

1

00

Table XXI Criteria for selection

104

Table

xxn

Sources of resources

106

Table XXIll Usefulness of stock

108

i ,

,

"

.

,

,iI

!I

11

I'

b

.

/\

.\:

h

~

, ," ~

!j

DEFINITION OF TERMS USED

1. BRAILLE A system of writing for the blind that

uses characters made up of raised dots.

2. BRAILLER

3.

BRAILLIST

A machine for writing braille.

A

re

rson trained to braille materials.

4.

BOOK IN BRAILLE - Refer to any text in any wri.tten

language that is made accessible to the

blind by transcribing the text character

by character into braille. Each letter and

print will be pre sente d by an equivalent

braille configuration, one page in print

corresponding approximately to three.

to four pages in braille. In order to reduce

the bulk of braille ~ some languages have

developed a special braille code of abbreviations

"

and con tractions for the mos t

c.t.

mmon words "

and parts of words (usually knor..n as grade

.

_;"_;~

2 braille).

5.

TALKING BOOKS - This is printed text presented to blind

readers in recorded form. Once recorded,

a talking book can be pre serrted in as many

copies .,as required.

6

LARGE PRINT BOOKS - It is difficult for partially sighted

people to r'ead materials in ordinary print

because the typographical characters a.re

not sufficiently large and bold for them.

This makes the text appear to be in sufficien tl.y

Therefore, provision sould be made for large

pr-int books as well as that of correction and

magnifying glasses in order for their r'eading capacity to be improved.

7.

Visually handicapped/Impaired Child.

Refers to a child who' cannot see well enough

to r-ead normal print c'.E_spiteall the corrective

measures.

8.

INTEG RATION.- A trend towards educating an exceptional

child together with his normal peers to

whateve'r extent is compatible. ,

.

-!

9.

MAlNSTREAMlNG - Synonymously used with-the te rrn

. :l

11 integr-ation , I' \.

fI

10. RESOURCE ROOM - This is a room set aside in an ordinary

,

:

school wher~ some visually/hearing impaired

~

children learn (study) together fvith the sighted

i

l

peers in which special materials are kept

and there is a specialist in attendance.

Children visit the resource room from time

to time for s peci.aIised learning.

11. RESOURCE TEACHER - A specialist who man s the

resource room, admin.iste r-ing spe cia.Iiseci learning materials to the handicapped children

on the advice of the class teacher, admimstr-ation ,

parents, and the children. He pre par'es

before hand all the materials that the

12. MULTI-HANDICAPPED - Aperson with more than one

handica pe. g. deaf and blind.

13. PROFOUNDLY DEAF - Category of hearing impaired child

that has no intelligible speech (Le. those

born profoundly deaf or acquire it before

acquiring speech.

14. Library A room where resources are housed and

are systematically organised and classified

for ease of retrieval, for users to borrcw

or refer to.

15. Teletype-writer - A device used over most telephonic

communications systems to send and receive

signals and produce hard COpyfrom them.

16. Thermoform - Equipment used to duplicate braille material

us ing braillon (special (plastic) braille paper)

by giving it a final shape through aid of heat

and pre s sure.

17.

Unit Section of a school catering for a special

1.0 INTRODUCTION:

The declaration of

1981

as the International Year

of Disabled persons has helped to highlight the plight of

the handicapped, who need. special attention from so ciety .

It is unfortunate that the number of handicapped persons

in Kenya is not known as reflected in a report on s pe cia l

education which states:

... the actual number of handicapped

people in Kenya is not known. 1

Nki.i1.yangiand Mbindyo furthe r support the fact that

little systematic effort has been made to study the

problem of disabled persons on a rational basis. 2

From the se as se ition s , it is clear that there is need for

quantitative data on special education, and the handicapped,

if their welfare is tu satisfactorily be looked into.'

So far, the United National estimates indicate that

To verify these figures, it is necessary for the mirri.s tr-ie s

concerned to carry out registration exercises on various

categories of handicapped persons.

Wangeci - wa - Waititu indicates that the Agikuyu

traditional society had a negative attitude towards the

handicapped, and such attitudes uphold even today, despite

the introducti~n of special education.

3

Reiterating this

view, Mwangi says:

••.. we behave in many ways as if

handicapped persons are alien to the

human race and cannot benefit from

this knowledge.4

However , if the concept of the handicapped by society

has to change, then the first step is to make the

;",

handicapped equipped with skills that can help him

t"

!-realise himself as a person. Ashcroft sums up the

t

ole

:\

,

of the school programs when he says that they should"

alter the ca.psbi.Ii.ttes of the student in order to be able

to meet environmental demands. Further, the attitudes

of the sighted community are essential to the s'ucce s s of blind

persons in the community. According to him:

".... many pr-ofe s s iona.ls believe tha.t the

primary change agents for attitudinal

change on the part of the seeing

individuals are handicapped pers ons

themselves. When blind per-son.shave

the skills, abilities, self conf'idence,

and motivation to function successfuIly

in society , they evoke positive

5

reactions irom others ...• "

4

The library would play a most significant role in

providing information both on handicaps and about the

handicapped. However, for the libraries to succeed it

is necessary to assess users' needs and consider their

views.

Foster, commenting on the Re-view of prevalence

of blindness survey in Africa 1968 - 81 using binocular

vision of

3/60

or less as the definition of blindness

concluded tha t 1.5%or 6million people in Africa are

blind, and another

6

million severely handicapped. He

mentions corneal scar; cataract; Gla:u.coma; Ureitis;

Retinal disease; Optic nerve disorder; and whole eye as

causes of blindness. On a more positive note, he says

that avoidable blindness is preventable through:

t) Introduction of eye services at all

IeveIs of health care.

ii) Actlvely involving the communities in

their ownhealth care through the

training of village health workers

who also receive instruction in common

eye problems.

iii) Pz-o vi.sion of eye medicines at reasonable

cost.b .

Thus primary he-alth care is necessary in order to

fight against blindness. This can best be effected through

community-based programmes as well as provision

',infor-matton in various media that W0111dreach majority

of the people in'clud ing the disabled. This could be done

thr-ough posters, pamphlets, chief's barazas, church

to help disseminate such information like through films;

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE

1.

Kenya - Ministry of Education. Policy for

special education Government

Na.iro bi Printers, June 1981 p.1.

2. John A. Nkinyangi and Joseph Mbindyo.

The Condition of DisablErlPersons in Kenya:

Results of a National Survey - University of

Nairobi, 1982. p.3.

3. Wan.geci cwa=Wa.Ltttu. The Impact of Modern

Education on traditional attitudes towards

the disabled in Kenya. University of

Nairobi, Kenya, 1981 p. 65.

4.

Wnngui G. Mwangi. Bridges from clas s room to

community LTl : Internati0!lal Council for

education of the visually handicapped:

P'rocee dtng s , Seventh Quinquennial Conference

Nairobi, Kenya . August 1 - 7, 1982, p. 267.

5.

Sumuel C. Ashcroft. Bridges from classroom to

community. Ibid. p. 261, 262.

R. Foster. Focus on Blindness in:

Assistant librarian. The Journal of the

Association of Assistant librarians 71

-",,".

1.1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The present researcher has had interest in the

education for the handicapped, and library! information

se r-vices available to this target group, for several years.

The investigator has two young relatives, one physically

handicapped, and the other has hearing impairment.

In a paper presented by Muya an d Owino during IFLA

General Conference 1984, three categories of information

needs are identified for .the visually and hearing irrrpair'ed

clientele: the CORE; the PERIPHERAL; and the DAILY

LIVING SKILLS. The last information need is considered

very important as it will help them adapt in the society

so that they can live like other able-bodied members

of the community. The core needs are similar to all

library users depending on their political, econom ic , < .

c

cultural back gr-ound, level of education, pr-ofesrton etc.

The peripheral needs buttress ~he core. 1 :;.;fo'.

In 6..evelopingcountries, little research has been done on information needs of the handicapped. In a seminar

held in Tanzania in.1980 on Library Service to the visually

.handicapped in African developing countries, in which

eleven countries participated (N.B. Kenya.not a participant),

the 'wot-ktng paper quotes the UNESCO manifesto in which

it is s ta.te d that the Libr-ar-yservice should be given.to

paper further states :

Library service for the visually

handicapped represen t the only

opportunity for the blind to have

access not only to written work,

but also to all other types of

information and to the literature

available to sighted people. 2

Of theeleven countries represented durin g the above

mentioned seminar, none had library ~'~rvices to cater for

the various categories of handicapped clientele. The

present investigator would, tberefo re , like to find out

whether"Kenya suffers from the same fate. In other

words, the research hopes to find out through empirtce.l

I

investigation whether the visually and he ar-tngImpat'red

" :1

are catered for in terms of library/ information services .

.

I

i

All handicapped persons require inf'orrnatt m about

~

their handicap. This kind of information is al~o of Vital

,

impor-tance to the nonhandicapped who are intere ste.d in

~

such information. Examples of such interested parties

are: parents of handicapped persons, r-eIative s , those

I, "

workin gin institutions for the handicapped, international

and voluntar-y organIsations interested in.the welfare of

the handicapped etc. This study hopes to find out whether

such kind of resources are provided in libraries in

institutions cate r-ing for the visually bandicapped and

the deaf. If information on various han.d.ice.ps is not

provided, then who provides it to those who rieed it,

ALA (American Library Association) standards for

library services to the blind and visually handicapped

states that blind readers, the majority of whomlive in

normal community require library service in a multitu-de

of ways; as students in school; as learners of a trade

or profes sion; as citizens requiring information on their

civil rights; as childr-cn and adults in need of guidance;

the stimulation and satisfaction brought about by reading.

3

The Gachathi Report on National Commission on

Educational Objectives and Planning of 1976 recommended

the integration of the handicapped both socially and

educatione_lly.

4

The Kenya Covernment Draft Policy

for the Special Education (1980)has highlighted the fact

that for the integration program to succeed, it is necessary

to have a local braille printing Press, equipment and

trained personnel.

5

This study aims to identify the services rend.ered by the Handley School for the blind, which produces educational materials for the blind and

runs a correspondence cour-se , with a view to finding

out what kind of library/ information services it offers

to its subscribe rs .

Kabue cites the prublem of lack of instructional

mater-ia.l.sas one of the problems f'cced by the imp'lerne nt.ation

of the integration program. for the visually handicapped. 6

visually handicapped as well as the h.earing impaired

have acce ss to other resources apart from those pr-ovided

in the classroom. 1£there are, are they organised in

the form of library for ease of disserntnatton.and retrieval?

According to the United Nations statistics ten per ceut

of the Kenyan population are handicapped. T'his projec t-I,

hopes to find out whether the public libraries in Kenya

cater for thejinfor-mation (educational, social, leisure,

as well as personal development) needs of the visually

and hearing impaired persons, by spe cif'i.ca IIy, surveying

the services of the Kenya National Library Services in

:1

Nairobi. Provision of such services would enhance

rehabilitation so that those suffering from the above

i:

~. mentioned handicaps can earn a living, and contribute

positively to their own well being and national development,

instead of being dependent.

At present, the blind and the deaf live and indee d

sur-vive. This study aims to find out how they survive,

in terrns of information provision. Whe.tother sources

of information other than the library do they rely on?

Whoprovides them with their adaptative information?

etc. How adequate or inadequate is the adaptative

information given. Therefore, emphasis will be put on

.needs of the visually and he ar-ing impai.r-ed are catered for in a public library, and in institutions catering for this

category of clientele. The following qu~sUons are raised:

i.) In institutions for the visually and hearing impaired,

has a pur-pose=buflt library been established?

:i) What kind of resources G.-reavailable?

i.ii.) How are the library/ informa tion r-esource s organised?

iv) What problems are en.countered in the course of ~,:

:

<

'

the provision of the services?

v) ;vJl'lat_' administrative problems may hinder

effective services by the library?

vi) Howadequate or inadequate are the services provided?

vil.) The integration programme for the han dt capped

(both visually and deaf) calls for provision of

support materials. Howfar has this been realised

by the public libraries and the schools, in order

to cater for the target group?

vii.i) What attempts do the library staff make to help the target group become independent library users?

With the information gathered the researcher hopes to

make recorn::nendations on MINIMUMESSENTIAL

SERVICES that should be provided in every library, in

order to cater for the information, needs of the visually

1.2 PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

1.21 PURPOSE:

t) To identify the resources available in selected

institutions.

ii) To assess whether the resources available are

adequate to support and s tirnula.te learning-teaching

pro gr-amme.

i.ii) To assess whether the resources provided cater

for the ad.apcative (i.e. rehabilitation and social

ne~ds) needs of the vi sue.l'ly and hearing impaired.

tv) If the resources in the libraries, or in the resource

rooms are inadequate, inappropriate or outdated,

to identify possible reasons for this, and suggest

practical ways of maximizing utilisation..

1.22 SIGN IFICANCE :

The library is a very effe ctive tool for enhancing

learning, but in order-to serve this purpose for the visually

and hea.r-ing impaired, car-eful selection. in acquiring

resources is vital. Thus the Librarian must bear in

mind the information needs of his cl.ientele , and consider what resources would D2 maxirna.l.Iy '.xtil.ized by persons

of particular hand.ice.ps .

(relatives) and groups (organisations) etc, on causes of

various handicaps, and how to cope with life problems. Therefore, careful selection of resources, and

advertisements of services available would provide such information. Hence. the library could play an important role in providing adaptative information,

as well as rehabilitative. Moreover, the handicapped require resources that would cater for their recreational needs.

iii) On the basis of the findings and recommendations made, librarians in public libraries and academic

institutions catering for the visually and hearing impaired

mi.ghtreconsider:

a) Providing essential library/ information services',

if non-existent.

b) How to improve library! information services, if

.not ade qua.te,

iv) The investigator hopes that the issues raised in this study will contribute to the world of knowledge, e specie.Il.y in librarianship and the necessity to meet the information needs of the visually and hearing impaired

clientele.

Hopefully, such Imowledgewill become handy to

other studies in the area. of Libr-ar-y/ information services

v) Finally, it is hoped that the relevant ministries wil.l

makeuse of the information gathered to rectify any

loopholes in the policies so far made, concerning the

handicapped and provision of learning resources and adaptative information.

1.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

(0 This study concerns itself with the information

resources, both print and non-print which are used for teaching and learning housed in selected institutions for the visually and hearing impaired, and one publ.ic

i

library in Nairobi. The study also tries to tnve stigate other fac::'lities that are provided with a view to l\

~

enhancing maximumutilization of resources available.

-I:

(ii) More emphasis will be put on sys temattc

.

~

organisation, retrieval and use of information in the \I

-libraries/ resource rooms in as,far as these encourage

-.or hinder utilization of the resources and services

available.

(iii) This study is limited to seven institutions, the refore, the findings and recommendations defy

generalisation to ether similar institutions. However,

issues r'e.ised may indicate similar trends in other librarie

s

i

resource rooms in other institutions.

(iv) Another major limiting factor of thoroughness

July

and August, 1986, and the finance assistance is

Kshs. 3,000 only.

(v) Final possible limiting factor on literature

review is lack of literature on library! information

services to the handicapped, especially for the deaf,

in developing countries.

1. OWINO, O. and MUYA, E.W. Public Library Services to the Disabled, their information needs and

special materials. IFLA GENERAL CONFERENCE,

NAIROBI. 1984. (with reference to the

hearing and visually impaired). p , 3(1~.); 4(14).

2.

UNES(:O Publication.

Seminar on library se rvtce to the visually

handica pped in African developing countries.

Arusha, Tanzania, 3 - 11th November, 1980-.

(Final Report).

3. MUYA, E. W. and CWIN0, O. Informa tion needs of the

visually and hearing impaired. Sp;cial

:;<,

Education Bulletin for Eastern and ~outhern

Africa. 3 (2), June 1985, p ,

4.

4.

The Report of the National Committee on Educational.

Objectives and Policies, Nairobi, Government

Printer, 1976.

5. Kenya Government, Draft policy for special Educationt'

1980 (Not publ.i shed) p.

SG

.

6. KAB1JE, S. A study of the educational Integration of the

visua.lly handicC'cpJ?edchildr~n at p~jmary SCh00i

level. (M. Eel. Thesis) Univt'.::ii:Si.ty or Na.i roLX!.. 1986.;..'

CHAPTER 2

2.00

LITERATURE REVIEW:

2

.

10

LIBRARY LEGISLATION:

In Kerrya, lack of school library legislation which

would make the establishment and mamtenance of school

libra-r.-ies mandatory has had adverse results on this

vital aspect of education. According to Tharrru , the

then Current Development Plan in Kenya failed to include

a definite policy on the development of school; Itbr-ar-ies :

. !t

'.'

"We are however aware that tile ;\

Ministry of Education is trYing .'

hard to establish school libraries,

in every school in the Republic '\

while in the recent past schools at

all levels - nursery, primary, and

secondary - were not required to\'.

establish and develop Itbr-_.ar-ie s . ~_1\

lj

Ari.other impor-tant aspect of Libr-air-i=nsh.i.p that is lacking in Kenya, is provision of Libr-ar-ystandards by some

recognised authority (e. g. Ministry of Education, Kenya ,

Library Association,

K

.1.

E. Panel etc ,') for specific

types of Irbr-ar-ies with identifiable client-ele and service

requirement.

2

.

11

ROLE OF THE LIBRARY

IN

EDUCA.TION

The vital role of the Ifb+ar-y is acclaimed worldwide.

Trehan and Ma.lhan attr-ibute the socialisattion of the child.

revealed that ninety eight percent of students in Kenya

Science and Highridge Teacher's '-colleges were aware

of the 'vital role played by the library in "their educational

lives.,,3 According to Thairu

4

and Male che

5,

provision

of a wide variety of resources in the; library exposes the

student to a vast variety of knowledge through reading

newspapers, magazines, journals, books etc.

Consequently, students acqui re skills in selecting

important points, synthesising information, organising

it to suit the purpose for which it is intended, evaluate

I

it and finally formulate their own generalisations, and

.

!t

.

'

apply the inf~rmation to solve problems. In ~:cquiring

I1 !~

the above skfll s , essential educational objectives for

I

1

example: need for continued education and sulf reliance

are acquired'.6 For the visually handicapped: and hearing

!

l

impaired, acquisition of the above mentioned .₎ski.lls

u

would be invaluable since their education is aimed at

making them self-reliant, and be able to contribute

positively to national development.

Kaungamno further emphasises the invaluable service

rendered by the library in post-literacy adult education

when he says that provision of follow up reading helps

nco-literates not relapse to illiteracy'? Thus provision of rehabilitative and adaprative role can be alluded to

Editorial in the Daily Nation, concurs with Kaungamno' s

views thar :

"The Kenya National Library Service officials

this weekend reiterated their concern

that most Kenyans donot read books. And

they are not referring merely to those

disabled by their total ignorance of the

Three RS - of Reading, Riting and

Rithmatic. The large per cen.ta.geof

Kenyans whoare illiterate in this

literal sense of the word is serious

enough. But more serious, the KNL~

officials seemed to say, are the

hundreds of educated people: who have

became "illiterate by default" since they .left schools and universities.

"

8

The Editorial further laments over the choice of

materials read by the "illiterate by default" - newspaper-s

and books which are "devoid of any information value",

9

Oure vtews the primary school library as inspirational

to the child in order to "build up an impression of the

library as a place of enjoyment and interest." .He thus ~.

sums up the functions of a library: collect sOL',:'ces of

information; intelligently org~ise these r-e s ou.nces r '.

so as to facilitate information; and take good care of

.and preserve sources of infor mation. 10 Whether one

frequently read as a child; at what age he was exposed

to library use; the degree to which his parents read,

and with whom one started using the library are seen by

Powell as important factors in future Lbrary use. "

Kyuli reiterates this when he says that interest in

students' progress in education made theru feel Obliged

usin.g the'library more. ,,12 Another crucial factor

influencing the concept of the role of a library according

to Ojo is the society's concept of education. If people

view education as a means to an end, then this affects

.their reading habits, especially r-ead.ing for pleasure.

Other factors that might affect the provision of libraries

to the handicapped is society's attitude to such people,

d d . . f bi.lit 13

an a num str-ato r s concern or accoun ta 1 1y. .

In acknowledging the value of a good library,

Ayot says:

"

a good library has a vital role to

play in any good system of education.

It is an important area of educational

resource, without which the learning

processes in the school cannot take

place at a satisfactory level. Indeed,

if a school aims at really educating

the pupils entrusted to it and n.ot

merely teaching, the library is a

"facility which can make an essential

contribution to such a purpose. 7r"e:re

is no substitute for it.

"1

4

' "

>

" "

Ayot's observations in no uncertain terms indruate the

J

essence of an effective library as: availability of adequate

"andsuitable stock; well-qualified personnel capable of

"organising resources effectively and carrying out their

man.agement role; and teachers adaptable to teaching

2.20 LIBRARY/INFORMATION SERVICES FOR

THE HANDICAPPED (emphasis on:

visually and hearing handicapped)

Sessional paper No.

5

of 1978, in response to the

National Committee on Educational Objectives and

Policies, states:

"Books and other educational materials. are the basic tools for educational development and must be available +o the learner in adequate quantity und quality at the time they are required and at a cost the learner

can afford. 15 .

What is the implication of the above recommendation

~o the visually handicapped and hearing impaired?

For an effective instructional programme to take place,

provision of book and non-book media is required.

Admittedly, in order to cater for this clientele, a great

range of non- book media, which is quite expen sive , is

~.

required. To overcome this hundle, it would ~"worth

thinking of pooling the available book and non.-b~':Ok

.r: media for cen tral organisation. This would not only

str etch the services provided, but also ensure their

effective and maximumuse so long as the library is

adequately stocked and manned by qualified personnel. .This would ensure a cost-effective service.

It is important to consider the type of l~brary

Conference held ill Ibandan , Nigeria,

1

95

3

on the

Development of Public Libraries ill Africu., UNESCO

stated that the library ill Africa has f'ivc main purposes:

1) "to support and reinforce programmes of

adult and fundamental education;

2) to provide effective services for children and

young people 'including requisite services

for schools;

3)

.To provide needed information and reinforce

services;

4) to promote and stimulate reading for pleasure

and recreation;

5) to provide, whenever needed, adequate

s e r'vi.ce s for special groups, women, girls,

language groups :in order to ensure availability

of resources on.equal terms to all mernbe r-s of

~.

the _{communrty .}'

,,16

_.~

':

.

" .

'\ ' '.

,",

The UNESCO Public Library Mainfe sto (1972)

further notes and states:

"The re is an increasing concern with the

welfare of the elderly and all handicapped

people. Problems of Lonel.in.es s and mental

and physical handicaps of all kinds can be

alleviated in many ways by the public

library. Improved means of access,

provision of mechanical r-eadrng a id.s,

books in large print and personal service

in hospitals and tnstitutions, .... "17

So, the library can be used as an e du ce.tiona.Itool

to make the bl.irid and the deaf children !Useful citizens

and to the development of their country, rather than

remain dependent all their life. Vef. Appendix 2 :

Vocational Rehabilitation Programme by the Ministry

of Culture and Social Services;]

In order to lead a meaningful life, the handicapped

should be exposed to a variety of information so that

they too can be self-reliant and benefit from corrtinued

education. In this respect, Lawrence Winschel,

quoting Lefcour t statesthat the development of

self-reliance has been a major goal in the,education of the

handicapped. "At minimum such behaviour demands

that the individual maintain a sense of control over

the events of his life, even when such control may be

more illusory than real. ,,18 Pro'visi~n of recreational

, for

resources to cater/the needs of the visually handicapped

and the deaf would serve a vi ta.lpurpose since socialisation

with other people might be curtailed by problerri~of

mobility, lack of se lfvconftderice , and negative >:ttitude

by the non-handicapped which could be detrimen:~alto the

soci.al.isetion of the deaf. Our society also has a

s tez-eotyped atti tude towards the deaf, Le the assumption

that by vtr-tue of being deaf and dumb, they are also

intellectually subnormal. Selection of appropriate

recreational material for this cl.ien.tele is a priority.

11 _{people suffering from visua.l}

disa.blityare deprived, to a greater or lesser extent, of direct,

independent access to books and journals, to films, and television and other humanexperiences for which sight is essential" .19

.He further advocates provision of proper library

services in order to reduce the handicapping effects

of such diability, there by bt-m ging some pleasure,

stimulation; and information which is readily accessible

to the Sighted, to the ears and fingertips of the blind

and the eyes of the partially sighted.

20

·Findings of a study by Higgs indicated that both

contact and increase in information level made attitudes

towards disabled per-son.smore positive. Schubert

further recommends the use of bibliotherapy (Le.

helping students help themselves solve their pe rsonal

problems through reading) both in the c'la s s r-ocmand in

he Iping students understand and cope with thei: handicap.

k "

Teachers should help students discover books:}or in

recreational reading/which readers may meet a character

faced with a probl em or situation similar to their own.

.Thi s calls upon the teacher to be come acquinted to

pupils problems as well as 'a large number of children's

b₀₀1_cs,

.

21

Th_{e i}._mpI"_tcatro-" _{n s 0}f _teah b_{ove vrew s}" _to th_e library catering for the visually and hearing handicapped

are:

1) Teachers, educationists (in specia l education),

psychologists, physiotherapists etc.) should

work closely with the librarian in a mutual

effort to find resource materials to meet

highly individualised needs.

the librarian select suitable reading as well as

2) Teachers have a vital role to play in helping

non- book materials.

3)

The community and the parents require

information on handicapping conditions, and

should also contribute towards the development

of libraries' to cater for target group, as well

as co-operate ill information gathering -vital

in coping with handicaps.

Lack of ade que.te research on information needs of the

visually and hearing impaired, especie.Il.y in developing

countries according to Muya and Owino, has_. rr_,.a. de

librarians regard themselves as unqualified tc cater for

.1,

that clientele. Consequently, they make little' 'effort to

if h ' , '22 On "1 Th

r-ecti Y t e srtuat ion . 1 a sirm a r note, om

'reveals the pauci ty of library servi.ces for the handicapped

.in Australia :

"1

believe that it is indisputable that the level of library service provided for the

handicapped generally falls far below

that enjoyed by the general community. "

However, he echoes a more positi.ve note by acknowledging

the librarians' awareness and widespread desire to improve

For librarians to qualify to work in a library

catering the deaf', Dalton recommends basic foundat ion-:

in librarianship plus a special knowledge of the unique

needs of the deaf and hearing impaired. The following

specialised programme is recommended:

1) A basic understanding ofdeafness and hearing impairment and how this

disability affects people..

2) A knowledge of the following:

basic books required for a collection of materials on deafness and hearing

impairment; types of books needed to meet specific needs such as books without words, highly illustrated

books; and sources for acquiring

books designed for people with a hearing loss, and a resulting

English-language difficulty.

3) Knowledge of media .other than books which can be used by people wirh a hearing loss such as captioned fi1ms, signed materials and pantomimed materials.

The spe cialised educe.tion should also provide a knowledge of s our-ccs for this media.

"<

4) A knowledge of the periodicals

e

.railable in the area of deafness and heart 19

impairmen t, both for the Itbr-ar-tau and

the consumer. :~

5) Guidance in pur-chasing of specialised resources and equipment should be made available to students in the form of criteria in their selection. 24

Brainley25 contends that those who become deaf in later life do not require spec ia.I library provision, as they can use the same ranse of books and services available to the non-handicapped. However, use of

modern technology like teletypewriter (TTY) in libraries

may impr-ove services to the deaf. Installation of TTY, if

same access to the library resources as other members

in the society. Libraries should also consider training

one or more members of staff in manual communication

techniques (SIGN-LANGUAGE). Efforts should also

.be made to reduce noise level so that the hard-of

-hearing can make use of their residual hearing. He

suggests that site preference be given to areas far

from busy streets or factories.

S_angster'26 _{s ares}h _{t e same views,}h _and _add_{s to} th_e

list of resource materials: non-verbal looks for persons

beginning to work with the deaf; children's picture books;

books written in signed English lshould be brightly

illustrated with both text and signs printed together ;

posters or cards which illustrate nursery rhymes and

the manual alphabet. Due to the language barrier

experienced by deaf children, selection of ma.terials

'c,

should consider high interest, low vocabul.ar-y materials . .\

itA collection of books and pamphlets"6n TOTAL communication and the problems of deafness would be well received by

not only the deaf but professionals who work with them. Bibliographies and resource

and reference files are informational

services which s houl.d be developed

In.ter-library loans may serve you. This

also has the advan tage of building ,

professional contacts for further 27 sharing of information and resources. "

Ojo quotes a survey by Ene (un.pub'Iishe d) in which,

the following are identified as

r

e

sour.ce needs for the

a) .THE BLIND : books in bratIlc, talking books (books

on tape), casette and record players,

record tapes.

b) PARTIALLY SIGHTED: Large print books,

pictured books, posters, and talking books.

c) DEAF AND DUMB: Picture:'; books, toys, films,

slides, posters, maps, scrap books, indoor

2

8

games

Muya and Owino also list a number of facilities provided

in Kenyatta University library in an effort to ensure

.effective service to the blind:

.... tape recorders and playbacks ;

reading carrel and soundproof AV rcom for in-house recording, Reading table~ ar:d c~airs; a brailler to.be 29 used ill the Itbr-ar-y for note c-takin g.

-The library could also provide vital referrar'information

on handicaps. For example, the partially sj:.-htedare

.'\ often ignorant of low vision care, which could help

them cope with their problem. Hi~hlighting th.is situation,

Kl.auber and Covino state:

"it is estimated that only

15

per cent

of thos e who would benefit from low 30 vi s ion aids have had them prescribed. "

They further state that:

"Rehabilitative Low vision therapy often includes reading andmcbiIi ty:trainiTtg; recreational and occupational the ro.py;

and social, educat ional , and psychologtca.I ccunselling. The attitude and

factor- :inthe success of low vision care;

unreasonable expectations, such as the

restoration of perfe ct vision, must be

31

dealt with before success- can be achieved. "

The rehabilitation of the handicapped person :inorder to

cope with his disability and earn his livelihood, should

be emphasised in the provision of library! information

services to visually handicapped andthe hear:ing

irnpairc d clientele. Accord:ing to Karugu, educators

can onl v .feel they have succeeded in effective r-ehabi Ittatton

-programme when handrcapped workers are fully integrated

and adjusted in working with the non-handicapped. He

observes:

work for the handicapped assisted

:inchanging their behaviour through

rehabilitation process. For instance,

when the handicapped worker talks

about his creativity, production,

_earnings, and futur-e plans, it is

not the same as talking about his ,

helplessness, lowlessness, de pr-iv rtion ,

hunger and dependence. 32

-.""

Oudhensden views integration of the hanotcapped

with other members of the communityas being essential,

and states that this can be done through the child

attend:ing school. School-going fo~ an:y child means

literacy, social contacts, and the discovery of the

world around. Failure for the handicapped to join

play groups in children'.s activity in order to develop

2.30 MANi\.GEMEi.'-JT OF RESOURCES

An important aspect of librarianship as stated by Evans is that:

the ideal manager is one who is able to keep the human and activity factors in balance.

34

He further identifies the nature of management as: i) Managementis purposeful; the first

responsibility is to see that certain objectives are met. Success in achieving objectives is seen as the manager's success.

ii) <Certainactivities must be carried out.

Lii.) Management is accomplished with efforts of others.

tv) Certain skills must be acquired.

35

Therefore, for the library to give efficient se rvice , proper managernerit is vital. The role of the librarian in this context, is, the refore, stock selection and mainten an ce ,and encouragement of its us e . Speed as well as effidency in answerin.g patr-ons questions will have considerable effect on the librarian's relationship

.with library users.

For the handicapped tc make best use of resources available, proper organisation of resources is necessary. Use of one classification scheme for both book and non-book media will lead to mor-e effective use due to

The cataloguing of resources in the library u130 guides users to mater ia'l.s held in the library. A library catalogue describes, analyses and classifies all the resources in a library. Hicks and Tillin view the goal of cataloguing resources as:

.•... to assist users and staff in the determination and Locationof available resources which will best suit their

spe cific needs and best satisfy their' particular goal.

1137

For the handicapped, the catalogue would be an . essential tool, if they have to become independent in retrieving materials. However, L"1.cae talogue details should be in both print and braille for the blind; print

and signed-language for the deaf.. 2.40 USER EDUCATION

User education is the instruction given to help users make maximumuse of materials a.vafl.e.b'tein the

(

library. Ns'ang' a iden tifie s infor'mation n.eec3 tha t

face the library use r : _,',"

,

"1) The need to locate arid attain a copy of a particular document - Itemneed. 2) Need to locate and bta in a document

dealing with a par-ticu'lar- subject -subject need. It could be need for infor'mation on developments in'a

3

8

particular field of s peci.aLisa tion .

11

User education should be given to library users if they

·have to benefit from the resources available. In the

independence of library users.

3

9

Ng' ang'a fur ther

challenges the librarians to launch a current awareness

programme by d.ts pl.ayingnewly acquired materials so that readers can keep abreast with new information

trends.

.',

,

.

.

.

BIBLIOGRA.PHICAl REFERENCES

1. THAIRU, R. W. The Role of the library in

Education (lecture prepared for the

students of Institute Management,

Kenya Polytechnic, July, 1976) In:

Maktaba- Official Journal of Kenya

Library As s ocj.ation, Nairobi, 5·(1)

1978.

r-

.

28 - 35

2. TREHAN, G.L. arid MALHAN, I.v. School

Library Management. New Delhi:

Publishers, 1980. p.147.

3. KYULI, K.P. A study of Behavioural Patterns

exhibited by students in Teacher Training

colleges in NairobI in using h}rary

,

facilities in their colleges: An~\nalysis

'-,

M.Ed. Thesis: Kenyatta Univej-s rty, 1985, p.66.

4.

THAIRU, R. W. op cit.

5. .MALECHE, A.J. and KRYSTAL, A. The library

as an educational tool: a talk given to the

library seminar of the world confederation

of the teaching profe ss ion ,.heId in Nairo bi

6. Ibid

7

.

KAUNGAMNO, E. E. Role of libraries in

informa tion In: R.W. Thairu (ed)

in: The Development of Information

-An Approach. Proceedings of the

Third International Confer,ence of

Eastern and SouthemAfric.nn librarians.

(Held at : Kenya Science Teacher's College,

Nairobi, Kenya - September 2,

1

9

7

8

)

8.

'EDITORIAL', Daily Nation 2nd

Apr

-

i

l

,

1

9

8

5

p.

6

9

.

Ibid p.6

10. OURE, A. L. A survey of the l'earningRe~ ources in

selected Primary Schools of Amagoro Division,

11 Busia District,_Kenya. M.Ed. Th~~SiS:

Kenyatta Univers-ity.

19

8

5

.

p.

1

9

:!.1. POWELL. R~R...(et al) "Childhood socialisation its effect on adult library use and adult

reading." The Library Quarterly,

5

4

(3)

19

8

4.

p.

263.

13. OJOA. Ade sunkami . Library servicesto the

disadvantaged in N~ria. The University

of Sheffield, 1979. p. 71 and 72.

14.

AYOT, H.O. (e.d) Language and learning:

a methodology book for English

language.learnitlgin S.econdary Schools.

Nairobi. Macmillan Ksnya (publishers),

19

8

4.

p.

J2

8

15. Kenya. Ministry of Education Sessional Paper.

No.

5

of 1978 on Educational objectives

and policies. Nairobi: Government Printer 1

'.

1976. p. 21.

r ,I

1\

\.

16. UNESCO. Development of public Libr~ries in Africa:

I'

the Ibandan seminar. Pa.r-Is , UNESCO, 1954. p, 21

/\

;1

\/

17 . UNESCO Public Lib!"'ary Manifesto.

Library Associaticn RECORD, 75, (1) 1973, p. 7

18.

LAWRENC~_,A. Elizabeth and WINCHEL, F. James.

Locus of control. in: Exceptional Chrld.ren .

Official Journal of the Council for Exceptional

Chi ldr-eri.

Re stan , Vl.r-gin ta , 41 (7) Apr+l 1975, p. 469

19. MATHEWS, D.A. Hospital Libraries - work with

the disabled in the community. Mona

E. GOing, LA, 1981. p. 267.

20. REGINALD, \V. HIGGS. Attitude Formation

-Contact or Information? In: Exceptional

children. Opcit. p. 497

21. SCHUBERT, G. DELWYN. The Role of Bibliotherapy

In Reading Instruction. Ibid

22. MUYA, E. W., and OWINO, O. Information needs

of the visually andhe ar-tng impaired. In:

Spe~ial Education Bulletin. 3(2) [une , 1985 p. 3.

23. THORN, W.D. Australia: Rp.sults from the Nati.onal Survey of Library Services for the Handrcapped

people; Paper presented during : A National

Consultative Seminar , 1 - 3 August 1978

Canberra. In: Development of Resource

,?har.±ng N,etwork.

I

24. DALTON, P .-'1. Library services to the deaf and

hearing impaired. Orynx Press.

25.

BRAMLEY, G. Outreach. Library services

for the institutionalised, the elderly,

and the physically hanjicapped. Clive

Bingley, London,

197

8.

p.

213 - 216.

26.

SANG.5TER, Colette. Library service for the

Hearing Impai.red. In: The Bookmark,

New York state Library: Fall

1

98

1

p.

2

6

.

27.

Ibid.

2

8

.

OJO,A. Adesunkaml op cit. p.

3

9.

2

9

.

MUYA, E.W. and Owin.o O. Library services for • ."t

the Blind: the experience or-Kenyatta

University College,

Na

trob

i

In: Special "

.

.

,

Education Bulletin.

3

(2)

[urie ,

19

8

5

p.

1

7

, 18

.

30. ~AUBEE.,Julia and COVIN

°

,

Joseph. The Partially Sighted: Low Vision and the Libr-ar-y. In:

Bookrnar-k , Op Cit. p.40.

32. KARUGU, D.G. Preparing the Handicapped for

the world of work and Independence. In:

Special Education Bulletin for Eastern and

Southern Africa. 2(1) March, 1984. p. 8.

33. OUDHES DEN, Rudolf van. The Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons: In : Special Education

Bulletin- '. 3 (2) June, 1985 p. 7.

34. EVANS, G.E. Management Techniques for Librarians. Newyork Academic Press. In.c. , 1976. p.2.

35. Ibid p. 3.

36. MURIUNG[, Mwarania. The Meru Teacher

_.-

's

_-

--.

Training College le.arning· Resou 'ce Centre e

Its Resources, Services and Pr-c.olerns . M.Ed.

Thesis. Unive r-sityccf Na iz-obi . 1985 p. 24

37 . HICKS, W.B. and TI LLIN, M~A _ Managing

Multimedia Libraries. London: Bowke r co.,

38

.

NG' ANG' A,

J

.

M. Use and D ser Problems in

East Africa. Harare.·

19

8

5 p

.

4

.

39.

KYULl, K.P.

Op

Cit.

p.71.

40. NG'ANG'A, J.M. op cit p.6

CHAPTER THREE

3

.

0.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1

.

O.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design. is SIMPLE SURVEY intended

to investigate library/ in.formati.on services for the

visually nand.icappe d and hearing impaired provided in

N

airo bi and its environs.

3.2

.0.

SAMPLE SELECTION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

3.2.

1

The sample consisted of seven libraries in institutions

catering for the blind and the deaf. The re spond.ents to the

questionnaire we re librarians/ officers --:.charged with

11

the responsibility of running the library.

~

.fl

Sample Institutions:

\'

t) One Public library in Nairobi - The Kenya

It

National Library Services (headquarters).

ii) Two Institutions for the deaf:

a) Kambui school for the deaf;

b) Aga Khan deaf unit (No.rrobt).

iii) Three institutions for the blind:

a) Salvation Army Primary school for the

blind, Thika.

h) Sa.lvatton Army Secondary school for the

c) Handley (correspondence) School for

the blind.

iv) One institution for training primary school special

education teachers, including teachers for the

blind and the deaf.

3.2.2 THE SAMPLING: RATIONALEUSED

a) The Kenya National Libr-ar-y Services (headquarters)

on the basis of its location, and the fact that being the

headquarters, it would be possible to find out whether

either or both 'of the handicaps under study are catered

for, and if not, whether any of its branches andlor the

mobile and postal se rvtce s give service to the blind and the

b) Institutions for the deaf:

Kambui is the only school for the deaf in the

Naim bi environs, so it was automatically included ill the

sample. In Nairobi, there are three units for the

deaf, but due to time factor, and the fact that three of the

other institutions in the sample were outside Nairo bi , the

investigator had to select the Tln.it nearest the town centre,

Aga Khan deaf Unit.

c) In~!it~tions for the blind:

The only three schools for the bl.irid in Nairc bi

and it s environs were :included in the 'Sample.

3.3.0.

3.3

.

1

.

d) Kenya Institute .for Special Education rendered

itself suitable for inclusion ~in the sample since it is

the only institute training primary school special education

teachers, and running in-service courses for officers

working with the handicapped. Another criteria of selection

was on the bas is of its location in Nairo bi.

THE INSTRUMENTS

The Librariill1.'s Questiolli1.aire:

The researcher designed a questionnaire that was

then di s tr-ibute d to the librarians/ officers in charge of

the libraries for responses. The questionnaire w a s

preferred to structured interview due to time factor and

the nature of information being sought. Administering

interviews would have taken an enormous amount of time

since only two weeks were remaining before schools closed,

and the res ponden ts were busy with exams etc. With the

Qrue s tionnaire, the y could fi.ll in the de tails when the y were

free.

The Questionnaire is divide d into five main sections:

A) GENERAL INFORMATION: The nine items in

this section seek to elicit information on:

i.) The Librarian and whether trained in librarianship; work experience; and other library staff.

B) TYPE OF RESOURCES:

"

This section seeks to find out information on the

type of resources stocked in the library, both book and non

-book media; access to resources; and whether librari.es

have a reference and reserve collection.

C) There are seventeen items on the resource

ci.rculation, and the problems library users encoun.ter

in retrieving resources.

D) Acquisition and selection of resources:

The section consists of

8

items seeking to find

out informa tion on: Method of resource selection and

acquisition; Problems encountered in that respect; Inter

-library loans.

E) The final section is on the user education. 1t

consists of 9 items designed to find out user's independence

in retrieving materials.

3.3.2. THE INTERVIEW

./',.Un s tr-u.ctur-ed interviews were conducted on the

following responden ts :

a) Administra.tors Ol"institutions undcr study:

The investigator had informal discussions with the

" institutions and administrative issues (e. g. finance, staffing,

acquisition and selection of resources, and administrative

problems) related to the library.

b) Librarians/ officers in-charge of the library:

Informal discussions were held with these respondents

in order to verify their responses to the questionnaire

items as well as get details on issues not included or detailed.

c) Students of Institutions for the blind:

The present investigator could not interview the

deaf due to problems of communication. However, students

of In stitut ion s for tbe blind, and Kenya Institute of Special Education were interviewed to find out their views on

Library/ information services offered.

d) Administrative officers of the Kenya Society

for the blind and the deaf:

These were interviewed so that the r-e se ar-che r

could find out their role in the welfare of the blind and

the deaf, as well as find out their views on the state -of

-the -art as far as the information services for the

handicapped they cater for are concerned.

e~)Kenya Institute of Education Officers dealing

with Curriculum development issues for the blind

and deaf:

'From the se officers, the investigator would find

blind and the deaf, and whether schools catering for the

specific handicaps are required to establish and maintain

libraries, .

f) ~ctors of Special Education:

It was necessary to hold informal discussions

with a few inspectors in this section of the Ministry of

Education in order to gather information on spe cial education

policies, and a background to the problem under study.

3

.

3

.

3

.

OBS ERVATION:

It was necessary for the researcher to observe the

following:

a) The resources available in the libraries/ stores/

resource rooms.

b) Where necessary observe users in the library.

c) Examine whether the libraries/ resource rooms

had the required facilities to cater for specific

handicap.

c) )Xamine documents like the accession registers,

inventories, register s, membership cards etc.

to ve

_.

rify information given by the respondents.

'

3

.

4

.

0

.

PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTING:

3

.

4.1

.

ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS

The investigator made prior appointment with the