Studying with special needs: some personal narratives

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this article is to interview three academic library users with different special needs, one of whom is a current undergraduate, whilst the others graduated two and five years ago. Acknowledging that disabled people in earlier generations have often been barred from the student experience, it was hoped that the interview process would serve to identify ways in which our modern, up‐to‐date libraries now made it possible for users with special needs to use our facilities with a better level of parity, and thus to achieve academic success.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive account based on conversations and emails with three volunteers.

Findings

Our more modern, up‐to‐date libraries do now make it possible for users with special needs to use our facilities with a better level of parity, and thus to achieve academic success.

Research limitations/implications

Whilst the in‐depth interviews with three volunteers yielded interesting and informative results, a wider survey would be required to achieve a representative over‐view.

Practical implications

The paper examines the measures that libraries can take to improve the learning experience for users with special needs.

Originality/value

The paper is written from the academic user's perspective, and demonstrates the importance of the staff‐user interface, as much as of specific assistive technology.

Citation

McAulay, K.E. (2005), "Studying with special needs: some personal narratives", Library Review, Vol. 54 No. 8, pp. 486-491. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530510619192