A new mini library (Minilib) for the blind and visually impaired will “open up new avenues for blind people” in Uitenhage’s KwaNobuhle township, says Xolisa Yekani, chairperson of the South African Council of the Blind.
He was speaking at the launch of a Minilib in the Elukhanyisweni Public Library.
The libraries include a text reader, a computer for access to online resources, and material supplied by the SA Library for the Blind.
It is part of a project which has seen 11 public libraries throughout the Eastern Cape being provided with furniture, equipment and training to enhance accessibility to the visually impaired.
Another seven are planned, in the province, and then to the rest of the country.
The joint project between the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture: Library Services and the South African Library for the Blind was launched at the Humansdorp Public Library in 2010 where MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Mrs Xoliswa Tom, acknowledged the value of the project for the visually impaired community.
According to project coordinator, Pumla Mahanjana, the Minilib project was initiated due to the need for visually impaired individuals to have access to library and information services. “The visually impaired have a constitutional right to access these services. The pilot project in the Eastern Cape has been so successful that we are hoping it will eventually be rolled out across the country.”
Each of the identified libraries has been provided with furniture and equipment to aid visually impaired individuals. “Equipment includes audio readers, document readers, computer software, Braille books and other services,” says Mahanjana. “Not only does this open up opportunities for the visually impaired, it also assists those that are illiterate to benefit from the service.”
Staff at each library are trained to assist users of the equipment, and to identify individuals who could benefit from the equipment. Public library workshops are also held for members of the local communities in order to train them on the equipment, as well as to raise awareness of the facilities available.
The project has been rolled out in eleven libraries to date, with seven identified for implementation in 2012. “The communities have welcomed the Minilib projects, and we have had great feedback from everyone who has made use of the facilities. We are very excited about the further rollout of the project throughout the rest of the Eastern Cape, and hopefully into the rest of the country in the near future,” says Mahanjana.
Alan Straton
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