Open Rose Group Paul Conway

Disability Co-ordinator

Sheffield Hallam University

Audrey Cobb

Customer Services Manager

Leeds University

Beginnings

• Formed in January 2003

• 8 University Libraries: BradfordHuddersfieldHull LeedsLeeds Metropolitan SheffieldSheffield HallamYork

Remit

To exchange ideas and discuss policies and procedures in order to move from base-level provision to best practice in the provision of services to disabled library users

Staff Training Video on

Disability Issues

• Film library users with different disabilities

talking about their experience of using Higher

Education libraries

• Footage of disabled students using library

facilities

• Supporting materials to encourage best

practice – worksheets, quizzes and case studies

Benefits to libraries (1)

• Video format allows disability training to be

extended to large numbers of library staff,

many part-time

• Flexibility of video format for group or self-

directed learning

• Selected clips could be used in workshops to

stimulate debate about a particular disability

Benefits to libraries (2)• Springboard for discussion of local library

policy and procedures: to benchmark against practices elsewhere

• A visual aid to vary mode of delivery

• Offers overview of a range of disabilities, useful in new library staff inductions

• Provides firsthand feedback from disabled users: customer focussed ethos

Project history (1)• Detailed costing and worked up proposal

• won SCONUL grant

• Leeds Metropolitan Media Production Unit to produce the video

• Decision to develop a DVD/CD package

• Four sections and key themes: – Mobility: access– Visual: assistive technology– Hearing: communication– Dyslexia: using the library

Project history (2)• Volunteers

• Decision to film at:Leeds and Leeds MetropolitanSheffield HallamHuddersfield

• Small working groups

• Filming April and May 2004

• Editing, subtitling and supporting materials Summer 2004

The end result• Open Rose members – better knowledge of

needs of disabled library users and provision of services and resources in other libraries

• Stimulating staff training resource to facilitate training large numbers of staff in the key area of disability issues

• DVD with supporting material on CD – (£40)

• Detailed report on project for SCONUL Focus

Marketing • openrose@email.com monitored on a rota basis by

members of the group

• Article on DVD in Sconul Focus:http://www.sconul.ac.uk/publications/newsletter/32/21.pdf

• Review of DVD in Sconul Focus: http://www.sconul.ac.uk/publications/newsletter/35/25.pdf

• Article on training using DVD in Sconul Focus:http://www.sconul.ac.uk/publications/newsletter/37/8.pdf

• many ORG members have details of the group on their website e.g.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/services/openrose.html

Open Rose Group: other work

• Networking: an excellent source of advice and shared experience; an advisory and support group; keeping up-to-date with developments and contacts

• Liaison with other groups e.g. CLAUD, North West Academic Libraries (NoWAL) group; e-mail messages via the ORG website

Open Rose Group• Audit (comprehensive listing of

resources and services for disabled students at each member University):useful comparisons, statistics

• wiki

• twitter:

Disability Equality Duty

• moving beyond simple compliance with the law to actually meet the real needs of students

• required all public authorities to have a Disability Equality Scheme (DES) on their websites

• Equality Impact Assessments

'reasonable adjustments'

Buildings:

• adjustable furniture on all floors

• low level printers and photocopies on all

floors

• lifts (alternatives when out of order)

• trolleys and baskets on wheels

• wheelchair for use in the library

'reasonable adjustments'

Additional services:

• Roaming Profiles

• Alternative Formats Service

• Extended Loan Service

• Nominated Borrower Service

• Postal Loan Service

• Book collection Service

• Online request forms

• Additional support card

'reasonable adjustments'

Good practice for training sessions (1):

• send copy of ppt/resources to tutor in

advance of session

• podcasts/online tutorials signed

• online workbooks: text versions and

accessible pdfs

'reasonable adjustments'

• Good practice for training sessions (2):

• find out if students have additional needs

• stand in well-lit place away from window

• outline structure/main points at the start;

summarise regularly

• think of alternatives/choices for activities

Obtaining textbooks in

alternative formats• Draft policy statement

– "it is the University's responsibility to ensure that material on a reading list is available in an appropriate format so that all students have equality of opportunity to access reading list materials"

• Students are ideally assessed (e.g. by a Regional Access Centre) and their Learning Contract produced well before the beginning of the academic year

• Tutor has time to let library have relevant reading list in case e-versions of key textbooks may be needed for print impaired students

Procedures

Open Rose Group mindmap:

http://www.techdis.ac.uk/getaltformat

• Items required but not on reading lists: DSA

Book fund?

• e-Books

• Scanning or digitising chapters

• Agree to obtain accessible e-copies of key

textbooks recommended on reading lists

Contacting Publishers (1)

(Open Rose Group proforma e-mail)

Student details required:

name

course and course tutor's name

years of study (occasionally)

duration of course, including end date

(occasionally)

Contacting Publishers (2)

variables:

cost

conditions

speed of response

Contacting Publishers (3)

• Publishers' Look-up site:http://www.publisherlookup.org.uk/

• AAP Publisher Look-up service:http://www.publisherlookup.org/

• TechDis guide to obtaining

alternative formats:http://www.techdis.ac.uk/getaltformat

Publishers' responses (1)

• Free of charge or cost of textbook

• With or without conditions/stipulations,

faxed back to publisher:

– strictly for use of named student

– disk(s) must be destroyed after student

finishes course

Publishers' responses (2)

• e-mailed or made available for a limited

period for download

• Format e.g. pdf file with selectable text

• Only recent titles available electronically:

older titles (i.e.pre-2000) may be

unobtainable

Alternatives• Ask for suggested alternative titles from

tutor – explain difficulties: keep informed

• Subscription to services e.g. Leeds

University Transcription Centre

• Revealweb (http://www.revealweb.org.uk/)

• database of resources available in

alternative formats

Wider issues and

challenges

• Who does the work?

• Who pays?

• Who to inform and when?

• Challenges: time, cost, communication

Any Questions?