What's So Special about VIPs? - Information Provision to Visually Impaired People

Citation

Watkins, J. (1999), "What's So Special about VIPs? - Information Provision to Visually Impaired People", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 16 No. 12. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhtn.1999.23916lad.001

What's So Special about VIPs? - Information Provision to Visually Impaired People

David Johnson, Column Editor

What's So Special about VIPs? ­ Information Provision to Visually Impaired People

Judy Watkins, Guest Columnist

[Ed.: "EASI Access to Library Automation," a regular feature of Library Hi Tech News, examines new technology, information sources and services, and other news of interest to librarians concerned with providing quality services to their patrons with disabilities. EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information), in affiliation with the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), is concerned with new and emerging technologies for computer users with disabilities.]

Introduction

In the UK, the 1964 Public Libraries Act states that all public library authorities should provide services for all communities regardless of ability. For various reasons such as space and budget limitations, public libraries have not in the past tended to cater to visually impaired people (VIPs) other than providing a selection of large-print novels. The Disability Discrimination Act in 1995[1] insisted that those providing services, including libraries, should ensure that they do not provide a worse standard of service to disabled people. The Act also laid out other rights that must be implemented by October 1999 which places the onus on service providers:

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  to actively change procedures and policies that make it difficult for disabled people to use their services; and

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  to introduce aids and services which will make it easier for disabled people to use them.

Because, as mentioned above, traditionally public libraries tended not to cater to VIPs, these groups of people tended not to use public libraries but resorted to specialist libraries. This habit has reinforced the view of some librarians that they do not need to develop services for VIPs because they do not have VIP users. Of course there are some notable exceptions such as the Visually Impaired People's Unit in Manchester Public Libraries (Gallimore, 1999, pp. 13-14), which has developed over the past 16 years to meet the needs of VIPs in Manchester. On the whole, however, VIPs are still expected to use special libraries, thereby missing out on the convenient, cheap, and extensive service the rest of us expect from our public libraries. Research activities aiming to improve services to all print-disabled people are taking place, and there is increasingly less reason for mainstream librarians to think of VIPs as a special case.

Library Layout

The terms "visual impairment" and "print handicap" cover a vast range of conditions and levels of ability, which result is a variety of barriers and solutions. Although for the sake of simplicity I will be using these terms throughout the article, I do realise that in doing so there is the danger of reducing people in these categories to a homogeneous group. It should therefore always be borne in mind that any proposed solution will not work for everyone. Although obvious, it is worth stating that not all VIPs are blind or incapable of accessing existing collections. Quite often all that is needed is adequate lighting, clear large signposts, wide uncluttered aisles, and helpful staff. Organisations of and for the blind will usually be only too happy to check libraries' facilities and give advice on necessary improvements.

Once in the library the next hurdle to be overcome is the format of the information available. For some VIPs magnification aids are all that are needed; others will need more sophisticated equipment.

Over the past few years a number of projects have aimed at increasing the quality of library services to VIPs. Among these are Share the Vision, TESTLAB, and SEDODEL.

Share the Vision

Share the Vision (STV) was established in 1989 as a joint venture between the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and the public library sector and reconstituted in 1996 as an independent partnership agency. Share the Vision promotes cooperation between libraries and other relative agencies in the public, voluntary and private sectors. The idea is that if all the relevant agencies work together they will be able to improve the quality of the information services that provide for the reading and information needs of visually impaired and other print-handicapped people. Awareness is increased through activities such as road shows, national seminars and exhibitions, and a regular newsletter.

It has recently been announced that Share the Vision and the Library and Information Commission (LIC) are to collaborate on projects in the UK to improve library access[2]. Among the suggested programmes are projects to ensure best practice/best value for information provision for VIPs; this will include the production of a manual for all public library authorities. Also planned is research into enhancing access to library-based ICT (Information and Communications Technology) services for VIPs.

Money is being made available to develop longstanding projects such as the PIP (pilot interlending project) and NUCAF (National Union Catalogue of Alternative Formats).

The PIP is designed to identify service requirements to enable VIPs to gain access to services through their local libraries. An important part of this project is the NUCAF, which includes library holdings in Braille, large print, Moon, and spoken word.

The PIP comprises the UK contribution to the EU-sponsored project TESTLAB.

TESTLAB

The TESTLAB (TEsting Systems using Telematics for Library Access for Blind and visually handicapped readers) project officially ended in September 1998. The project carried out practical experiments in providing direct access to public libraries for VIP users[3]. A previous project, EXLIB, had predicted that the computer would be able to raise the level of access for VIPs to something approaching that for sighted readers. However, the TESTLAB project found that not every library nor every book was available in digitised form. Few books ever exist in a coherent digital form. Moreover the Internet, instead of increasing accessibility has had the opposite effect. As the World Wide Web (WWW) has become more sophisticated and graphically structured, it has grown further from the reaches of blind computer users who can only read text.

Despite this the TESTLAB project claimed that a combination of the new technology and the skills of librarians could make the library a more inviting place for VIPs. Public libraries could install a single adapted workstation which could be used by many and would therefore be cost-effective. Test sites were set up in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Austria, and The Netherlands. A study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of introducing such a scheme in Greece.

Each country was different, which provided the TESTLAB Consortium with a lot of experience in the benefits and pitfalls of VIP access in public libraries. They found that where there is already a good service for VIPs the expectations were higher and the use of the TESTLAB services not so high, leading to a relatively poor response to the trials. Where there was already little or no service provision new services could grow, but there was still the difficulty of getting VIPs into the library in the first place. As a result a lot of time had to be spent advertising the new services among the VIP community.

Technical problems experienced at the test sites were mainly associated with a low level of technical support. Because each library is unique and there are no standards in assistive technology, the set up was quite technically labour-intensive. Also, the library staff had to be trained so that they in turn could assist the users. However, having invested time in the set up, libraries were able to offer a much improved service for VIPs. Long-term success does, of course, rely on the ongoing commitment of the library management. Training should not be seen as a one-off to prevent all the necessary expertise being concentrated in one person who may leave. Adequate technical support always must be available as there is no point in trying to attract VIP users with a service that is unreliable.

Web Accessibility Initiative

The TESTLAB Consortium were not the only people to see the potential benefits of the WWW and electronic documents. Well-structured documents, using, for example, HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language) are inherently accessible[4]. As HTML is favoured by Web designers, it would be logical to conclude that the WWW should be accessible. However, sites are becoming increasingly sophisticated making them difficult to access for a lot of people, not just VIPs. The W3C's (World Wide Web Consortium) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), in partnership with organisations around the world is encouraging accessibility of the Web as part of their campaign to promote universality of the Web.

They have developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which advise Web content developers on how to make their pages more accessible. This does not necessarily mean that all sites should be dull. The watchword is "flexibility". Users should be able to operate the pages in different ways using different technologies and browsers.

The WAI Web page (http://www.w3.org/WAI/) is essential reading for anyone designing a Web page, however basic, and for anyone wanting to check the accessibility of existing sites.

Interoperability and Security Issues

Web design is not the only drawback with viewing the WWW as a possible solution. Issues such as interoperability, security of material, and privacy also must be considered.

Despite a lot of development in the area of assistive technologies, life is not necessarily any easier. The electronic environment as a whole is constantly changing. Some people eagerly await the latest Microsoft release while others struggle with hardware and software that is ten years old. Such wide variations exist between ability and equipment of every user, it is no wonder that interoperability problems are increasing. The "one size fits all" ideal is impossible. I have a technology handicap as the computer I use most frequently runs on Windows 3.11. I know the frustrations caused by not being able to access vital files and having the computer freeze because I have asked it to do something which it cannot. But I am lucky, I have an Information Technology Department to help me, I can always resort to a hard copy and I do not have the added complication of trying to find compatible access technology in a world that thinks I upgrade regularly. In short, any new developments must look backwards as well as forwards in order to help rather than hinder access.

A further problem is that of security. In order for copyright holders to make their works available they need to be convinced of the security of these documents. In the past publishers tended to be sympathetic to requests to transcribe their work into Braille as only a relatively small and exclusive group would be able to use the copy. Organisations for and of the blind are often able to negotiate special agreements with publishers to make their work accessible on the understanding that they will only be available to VIPs. Electronic information on the other hand can be accessed by a far greater number of people, including sighted people, and once on the Web it is more difficult to restrict access to a limited group of people. Security is also a major concern of end-users, who must be assured that their documents have not been tampered with and that their own personal details are kept securely.

What is needed is a secure document delivery system that takes account of the rights and obligations of all actors, and is interoperable with access technology. The SEDODEL consortium has developed and will validate such a system[5].

SEDODEL

The SEDODEL (Secure Document Delivery for blind and partially sighted people) project is co-sponsored by the European Commission and will run until March 2000. The SEDODEL system comprises three components: the Document Transformation System (DTS), the Document Reader System (DRS), and an Electronic Rights Management System (ERMS):

1) Document Transformation System ­ Sighted people have a big advantage in being able to visually scan a document to ascertain which, if any parts are of interest. VIPs have little or no ability to scan in this way and therefore rely on well-structured features in the document. The DTS converts different types of text (course material, newspapers, journals) from different source formats into HTML 4.0 so that they can be browsed on the World Wide Web.

2) Document Reader System ­ The DRS is a secure and accessible Web browser, with which the VIP downloads, accesses and reads the electronic material.

3) Electronic Rights Management System ­ The third component is the adaptation of the CSM (formerly known as Copysmart) ERMS. This component provides security functions, which can include digital information (such as a Digital Object Identifier, or watermark) to ensure ownership, data integrity, and traceability. The security functions are combined with encryption techniques. The system allows for contractual conditions to be bound with the information to ensure that the material is only used under the conditions specified by the copyright holder. Usage is monitored by the ERMS to control access, record audit files, and proofs of usage. The ERMS can also handle payments.

These three main components are being integrated into a unique homogeneous virtual system on the Internet, providing point-to-point security throughout the document delivery processes. The SEDODEL Web site will contain a catalogue of documents in the HTML 4.0 format that users can browse and buy. The catalogue has a search mechanism, and users can check and update the amount of credits they possess to purchase books online. The selected documents and their accessibility features are displayed by the browser, which also locally enforces Intellectual Property Rights protection of the document once downloaded on the user's PC. Each SEDODEL User will be provided with a secure device to ensure trusted communication with the SEDODEL Server and conditional access to download documents.

Flexibility

It is important that any system is flexible, in that in can be bolted onto existing systems. From the beginning it was felt that specific software and hardware should be kept to a minimum (in most cases this will involve acquiring only the CSM Security application and Smart Card reader). The DTS will format information in a way that is accessible by people with a wide range of visual impairments. They will be able to use their own access technologies, which meet their individual needs to use the information.

The SEDODEL System takes advantage of mainstream developments in order to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Perhaps the two most important general developments are HTML (which has been mentioned above) and Microsoft Active Accessibility. Windows 95 and Windows 98 contain many accessibility features including the ability to be able to change the size, colour, and contrast of navigational elements. Active Accessibility enables Windows applications to cooperate with assistive technology applications.

Once the system has been successfully integrated it will be vigorously tested in the UK and France using different types of content and a variety of different user groups.

Benefits to Users

There are three distinct groups of users:

1) The end-user ­ End-users, generally speaking, will be blind and partially sighted people who wish to access the information for their own use. Using the browser the user will easily be able to navigate through an electronic book. The SEDODEL documents use a standard template that facilitates navigation and provides for the inclusion of clear descriptions of pictures and tables. Using the Web-based catalogue, VIPs will be able to browse and buy books in a similar way as a sighted person can in a bookshop. Because the system is secure they will be confident about the integrity of the document, and because it contains an ERMS they know that their rights will be respected.

2) The intermediate user ­ Intermediate users are the copyright holders (whether economic or moral rights) in the publishing chain including authors and publishers. These copyright holders will be able to provide information to VIPs without incurring the extra costs involved in producing hard copy alternative format. The ERMS element will ensure that their rights as copyright holders are protected and that they will receive any payments due to them.

3) The professional user ­ Professional users are organisations of and for the blind and organisations such as libraries and educational institutions. This type of user will be responsible for negotiating conditions of use with the copyright holder on behalf of the end-user. As a result of using the SEDODEL system, professional users will be able to offer services to VIPs knowing that the information will be easily accessible. In the case of libraries and educational institutions, they will be able to offer a similar level of service as they do to fully sighted people.

Copyright issues

However successful the technical protection mechanisms, these can never be the full solution. Although differences do occur in copyright law among the EU member states, on the whole, not enough recognition is paid to the special needs of VIPs and other groups of print-disabled people.

In the UK, and many other EU member states, copyright law is based on the assumption that everyone can use printed material. No distinction is made between copying in order to use the work and copying for other purposes. The UK does have a general "fair dealing" exception which applies equally to VIP and sighted people. The exception does acknowledge those circumstances where a copy can be made without damaging the rights (financial or moral) of the copyright holder. Although a certain amount of copying for VIPs could be done under this provision there are factors that make it less than ideal. In the case of libraries, set limits of how much can be copied are not helpful for someone wanting to use the whole book or journal. For people other than librarians (or those acting on behalf of a librarian) there is no clear definition of how much or under what circumstances people can make copies that would be deemed fair. With such uncertainty many people are unwilling to risk using this exception, even if they were aware of its existence in the first place. The RNIB and the British Library Copyright Office have compiled a series of leaflets giving advice to VIPs and those providing information about basic copyright rules.

At the time of writing this article, a new draft copyright directive[6] is being discussed by the European Commission. The intention is to harmonise certain rights and exceptions across the member states, and to provide clarification as to what can be done electronically. However, early drafts and discussion seem to focus more on the rights of the copyright holder than those with disabilities. The exceptions relating to VIP and other print-disabled groups are limited and are optional. Therefore, if passed in its present form these groups of people are unlikely to have better access.

Once the final version becomes clearer, the SEDODEL Consortium will be making a list of appropriate recommendations for changes in the law to facilitate access for all groups of print disabled people.

The future

The SEDODEL Project is planning to hold a series of workshops to promote the project, increase awareness of the needs of VIPs, and discuss the way forward. So far workshops have been held at the IFLA Conference, Amsterdam (August 1998) and the ALA Midwinter conference, Philadelphia (February 1999).

It is interesting, albeit disappointing, that delegates found that the most common barrier to providing new services was the attitude of their fellow librarians[7]. Some reasons for this were identified:

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  VIP provision not relevant to their library;

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  Insecurity when dealing with VIP people;

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  Resistance to any change.

It was also felt that many VIP users do not know what a good library service is and are therefore too accepting of poor or no mainstream service.

Attitudes must be changed. Libraries exist to provide a service for everyone, and librarians should be proactive in ensuring that they provide the best possible service for all potential users. VIPs should be encouraged to demand a high standard of service and to make their expectations known. Above all, librarians and VIPs should work together to address local problems and to find solutions that will appeal to the local VIP community. By rising to this challenge and embracing the solutions VIPs will no longer have to rely exclusively on special libraries.

Notes

1. http://www.disability.gov.uk/dda/ddareg.html

2. http://www.lic.gov.uk/publications/pressreleases/shrvision.html

3. http://www.svb.nl/project/testlab/testlab.htm

4. http://www.w3.org./WAI

5. http://www.arttic.com/projects/sedodel

6. European Commission. Proposal for a European and Council directive on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. COM(97)628

7. SEDODEL Consortium, 1998 and 1999. Proceedings of the SEDODEL Workshops. Available from the British Library Copyright Office, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ. Fax +44 1937 546478.

Reference

Gallimore, A. (1999), "When special becomes everyday", Library Technology, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 13-14.

Judy Watkins is Deputy Copyright Office, the British Library, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire. Judy.Watkins@mail.bl.uk

David Johnson, Column Editor of EASI Access, is an Abstractor/ Information Specialist at the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), Silver Spring, MD. Readers with questions, comments, or suggestions may e-mail him at jdivad@aol.com