Πολιτικές και υπηρεσίες για ΑμεΑ στις ελληνικές βιβλιοθήκες: έρευνα σε ΑμεΑ

Abstract

The present study investigated the perceptions, evaluations and satisfaction of people with hearing and visual impairments regarding the accessibility and the services provided by Greek libraries. In addition, their suggestions were sought in order to improve the support they receive from Greek libraries in the context of their improved education and personal development. For this purpose, a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative methodology was used, where 30 visually impaired and 31 hearing impaired individuals completed a questionnaire, that was designed after consulting the relevant scientific literature, specifically to answer the objectives of the study. additionally, short interviews were conducted with two individuals with visual impairments. The results showed that participants reported problems with accessibility as well as reduced attendance to Greek libraries. Participants also mentioned that there exist significant difficulties with the services, with the availability of assistive technologies and with the infrastructure provided in Greek libraries for individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, participants provided suggestions on the additional services that they would like to have in Greek libraries in order for their accessibility to improve, their attendance to increase and the quality of services provided by the libraries to be upgraded. The study adds to the knowledge on the state of the accessibility and attendance, as well as the evaluations and satisfaction, of individuals with disabilities, regarding Greek libraries, and comments on the findings in relation to previous limited research that has been conducted in Greece. Finally, the limitations of the study are discussed and suggestions are provided for future research.