Implementing Cost‐effective Assistive Computer Technology

Citation

Calvert, P. (2012), "Implementing Cost‐effective Assistive Computer Technology", The Electronic Library, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 314-315. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471211221458

The need to provide assistive technology in libraries has never been clearer. Not only is it a highly desirable way of making services available to the whole community, in many countries it is now also a legal obligation. The majority of librarians need no convincing of this; the biggest challenge for most is learning what needs to be done, for whom, and how much it will cost. This book, which is one of Neal‐Schuman's useful “How‐to‐do‐it” manuals, contains six chapters. Each covers a separate and important topic in a logical order.

The first chapter is essentially about planning and the importance of aligning the use of assistive technology with all other activities in the library. It would have been easy to leave this chapter until later in the book, but having it at the very start emphasises the need to think through the implementation of assistive technology carefully, rather than making a light commitment only to do what one can. Policies must deal with some tough questions, e.g. will customers with impairments be given preferential treatment over others, such as by allowing them to book public access computers for longer?

The second chapter addresses the barriers faced by people with impairments wishing to use the library's facilities and resources. The author generally refers to “disability” and says there are many ways to define the word. Indeed there are, and this is where I believe reference to the World Health Organization's “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health” would have been very useful. Rather than regarding a person as disabled or not, the ICF recognises that we all live with impairments of sorts, great and small, and the key moments occur when we encounter barriers to doing what we want to do. The author does not disagree with this, of course, and regularly refers to the barriers posed by computers and the rest of the physical environment.

The third chapter offers practical advice on what technology to buy, with three options presented as valid starting points: your wish list, what you can afford, and what will work with your existing technology. Online sources of information about assistive technology will lead the reader to what is available. A possible next step is to evaluate the product or software using sample worksheets provided in this chapter. Having chosen what is wanted, the author then gives some ideas on how to write budget requests that will work.

So far, most of the content could be found elsewhere, though not in such digestible form. The fourth chapter, however, deals with a subject of importance not often covered in other books. The issues of compatibility with existing systems and hardware is crucial, and in this chapter Vincent gives a very practical approach to testing and proving how well different technologies work together. Understand where incompatibilities are most likely to occur, keep open communication with IT staff, and do thorough product testing, Vincent says, and you significantly increase the likelihood you will purchase products that work well with your current computers.

Having purchased assistive technology it is wasteful not to tell the relevant communities about it, so the fifth chapter provides advice on how to go about it. It covers promotional activities with current and self‐identified customers, with potential customers, and with agencies. This does not overlook the need to prepare staff by training: Vincent recognises training as a form of internal marketing.

The final chapter deals with content that is, again, too often overlooked. Having bought the technology, trained staff and advertised it, the programme is far from over. Technologies fall out of date disturbingly quickly, so almost as soon as one technology has been purchased it is time to start scanning for the next one. This chapter includes worksheets for observing the use of assistive technologies in the library. It also provides some ideas for measuring the use of technologies that can be presented to external agencies.

This book ought to be read by all library managers in all types of libraries. The contents is thorough and practical and it is easy to read. Chapter includes short case studies to illustrate key points. There is a companion blog and references to many online resources that will enable the reader to maintain current awareness of the topic.