Abstract
This research aimed to explore the actual situation of information
accessibility for university students with visual impairment at higher
academic institutions of Lahore, Pakistan. This research adopted a
qualitative research design using interpretative phenomenological
analysis (IPA) to investigate the proposed phenomenon. The
participants were recruited with purposive sampling from higher academic
institutions for data collection. Face to face interview of 15 visually impaired
students was conducted using an interview guide. The participants were
debriefed for data authentication and verification at the end. Each interview was
transcribed and analyzed carefully using IPA. The results indicated that these
students utilized interpersonal relationships as the primary source of their
academic information. The other available facilities for information access
included the internet, disability resources center (if available at the institution),
and the university library. The major barriers in accessing needed information
included: format barriers, navigational barriers, technical barriers, ICTs illiteracy,
and financial barriers. The university administration, especially libraries, should
consider students with various disabilities while designing information
infrastructure for its community. This research can be used as a guide by library
staff in designing need-based information services for students with visual
imprisonment. This research would be a worthy contribution to the existing
literature as only a few studies were conducted in Pakistan
Maleeha Rafiq Ahmed, Muhammad Asif Naveed. (2020) Information Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students, Pakistan Journal of Information Management and Libraries, Vol 22, Issue-1.
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