AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BY SPECIAL NEEDS USERS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study seeks to determine the availability of assistive technology by special needs users in public libraries in South-East, Nigeria. Two research questions and onenullhypothesis guided the study. A mixed method research design was adopted for the study. A census sampling technique which sampled the entire five public library headquarters in South East Nigeria (Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi) was adopted for the study. Instrument for data collection is an observation checklist validated by three experts, and having a reliability coefficient value of 0.76.Descriptive statistics of percentage was used to answer research questions 1 & 2. The researcher and 5 research assistants observed the checklist on the five public library headquarters in South East Nigeria. The null hypothesis was tested at 0.5 level of significance; with the aid of chi-square (2). The findings of the study indicated that public libraries in south-east make available more of non-electronic assistive technologies than electronic assistive technologies. Furthermore, public libraries in Anambra, Abia and Imo states seem to be better-off with regards to availability of assistive technology for special needs users. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others, that the findings of the study may be useful in guiding Librarians, with the intention of promoting availability of assistive technologies for special needs users in south-east, Nigeria