Dear all,
*Apologies for cross-posting*
I am working on a research project regarding issues of access to physical
resources (ie: book stock, periodicals, etc) for dyslexic patrons in the
library at London College of Communication. I know that libraries can be
scary and intimidating places for many individuals and certainly in our
case, we have a large number of students who find it difficult to navigate
the book stock and locate items they need without some assistance. A high
proportion of our students are registered as dyslexic and particularly in
light of the DDA, I feel that access to the resources is an area which
could be greatly improved. It is hoped that all of our students will
benefit if we consider the needs of our disabled patrons. Apart from
anything else, we are an Art & Design organisation, so it seems tragic that
we don't have a more visually stimulating environment for the students to
work in.
I have read guidelines for libraries on how to cater for dyslexic students,
but I am interested in hearing from anyone who has tried to tackle the
issues of access and signage within their own libraries. How have you done
this? Have you resorted to getting advice from private consultancies? Have
you carried out any surveys to get student feedback and if so, how
successful have these been?
Perhaps you know of other institutions that are attempting to make the
library environment a more user-friendly place for dyslexic users? I have
visited the Arts Institute Bournemouth which has implemented a very dynamic
signage system, created by a former (dyslexic) student but would like to
know if anywhere else has made any significant changes.
Many thanks for your time.
Yours sincerely,
Zoe Forster
Assistant Librarian
University of the Arts London
London College of Communication
Elephant & Castle
London
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