STABLE HIERARCHIES

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Progress on defining good practice for HE
libraries a report from the SCONUL Task Force on
Access for Users with Disabilities and Dyslexia
Mark Brown University Librarian University of
Southampton 28 June 2002
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By way of introduction.

• The aims of Task Force background and remit
• The challenge of the Special Educational Needs
  and Disability Act (SENDA)
• Indication of some current gaps in provision
• Philosophy, planning and collaboration

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SCONUL ADVISORY GROUP ON ACCESS
SCONUL ADVISORY GROUPS ACAISS BUILDINGS STAFFING
CLAUD
BL PUBLIC LIBRARIES
TASK FORCE
SCONUL Briefing Paper (December 2002)
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Terms of Reference

• Advise SCONUL on
• Policy and practice for users with disabilities
• Guidelines for good practice in the design and
  management of buildings
• Options for accessing and sharing information

• Potential for cross-sectoral co-operation
• Options for contributing to national guidelines
  in collaboration with regional consortia such as
  CLAUD

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Remit

• to summarise the key issues for libraries posed
  by relevant legislation such as the Disability
  Discrimination, Human Rights and Equal
  Opportunities Acts
• to review the regulatory framework provided by
  the Funding Councils and QAA
• to provide guidelines on good practice for HE
  libraries
• to identify potentially significant gaps in
  provision and advise HE libraries on possible
  priorities

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Remit (Continued)

• to define good practice for integrating provision
  
• to offer guidance on issues to be addressed in
  responding to training and development needs of
  library staff
• to identify examples of service standards which
  can meet the expectations of users with
  disabilities
• to advise on the potential for supporting
  cross-sectoral bodies which can work
  collaboratively to support HE institutions in
  establishing 'best-practice'

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Draft Outline

• Defining our users, their needs and expectations
• Context
• Legal framework
• Government initiatives
• Higher Education regulatory framework
• National and regional agencies
• Institutional policy and governance

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Draft Outline (Continued)

• Key principles for developing and delivering
  services
• Policy frameworks examples of good practice
• Managing service delivery
• Physical access
• Service profiling
• Communication and contacts
• Assistive technology
• User support and guidance
• Working with other service providers
• Evaluation and enhancement

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Draft Outline (Continued)

• Training and development
• Resourcing a training and development programme
• Analysing training needs
• Planning training and development
• Models for delivering training
• Evaluation and feedback
• Developing a funding strategy
• Contributing to regional and national initiatives
• Creating a balance

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SENDA Key Dates

• September 2002
• Unlawful to discriminate against disabled
  people or students by treating them less
  favourably than others and to make reasonable
  adjustments
• September 2003
• Responsible bodies to make adjustments
  involving the provision of auxiliary aids and
  services
• September 2005
• Responsible bodies to make adjustments to
  physical features of premises where these put
  disabled people or students at a substantial
  disadvantage

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SENDA Key Themes

• Avoid discrimination
• A disabled person must not be treated less
  favourably for a reason relating to disability
• Reasonable adjustments must be made to avoid
  placing the student at a substantial disadvantage
• Anticipate
• Duty to make reasonable adjustments is an
  anticipatory duty owed to students at large
• Prior knowledge of individual student needs is
  desirable, but not a right
• Use justification with caution
• Justification must be based on reasons both
  material to the circumstances and substantial

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Widening Participation
DDA/SENDA
HEFCE
QAA
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Learning Teaching Strategies
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PHYSICAL ACCESS
SERVICE DELIVERY
SERVICE PLANNING
SERVICE QUALITY
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
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CLAUD Survey 2001
14 HE Libraries in South and South West
Physical Access
Equipment
Baseline Assessment
Services
Staff Training
GUIDELINES
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CLAUD Survey 2001

• Doing well
• 85 provided disabled parking
• 92 offered independent or assisted access
• 85 had wheelchair accessible toilets
• 83 had a designated contact

• 83 provided specific
• information for disabled users
• 91 had an induction programme
• 83 had suitable adjustment for
  renewals/enquiries
• 75 had disability awareness in staff induction

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CLAUD Survey 2001

• Not Doing So Well
• 65 did not have wheelchair height friendly
  counters
• 86 had not undertaken audits in all libraries
• 75 did not have a policy statement
• 66 did not follow Bobby for web pages or RNIB
  guidelines for signing

• 42 did not have a wheelchair refuge point
• 70 did not have a Braille embosser nor
  induction loops at enquiry points
• 75 reported training a problem area for
  evening/weekend staff

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Some conclusions

• Physical audits of premises are only partially in
  place
• Application of standards set by external bodies
  (eg RNIB) still limited
• Strategy for equipment (auxiliary aids) needs to
  be built into forward planning
• Policy for mediated/adjusted access to services
  should be explicit
• Training is a key component in getting it right
  
• Butthere is no single approach

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Access to Funding
HEFCE Premium Funding
DSA
HEFCE Capital Projects
HEFCE WP Allocations
Library Budget
Industrial sponsorship
Charity/Trust
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Opportunities for collaboration
National Organisations
Academic Departments
Institutional Service Providers
Library
Disability Organisations
Regional CLAUDS
National/Regional Consortia
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Philosophy, planning and collaboration

• We should see the student experience is the key
  factor in successful integration
• We need to anticipate the gaps in provision and
  identify key priorities
• We should optimise our links with other service
  providers to create an enabling culture
• We can develop expertise and good practice by
  strengthening our collaborative networks

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Some further leads.

• Disability Rights Commission
• Code of Practice for providers of Post 16
  education and related services
  (http//www.drc-gb.org/drc/default.asp)
• CLAUD (http//www.bris.ac.uk/claud)
• SKILL National Bureau for Students with
  Disabilities
• (http//www.skill.org.uk)
• National Disability Team
• (http//www.natdistea
  m.ac.uk)