Voice of India's Disabled: Demanding Equality in Library Services

This paper discusses library services to the disabled in India. The introduction summarizes results of a country-wide survey of persons with disabilities and recent government guidelines relating to the rights of the disabled. The first section addresses needs of the disabled. The second section describes types of disability, including physical disabilities (spinal chord injury, amputated limbs, blindness/visual impairment, and hearing impairment) and mental disabilities (learning disability, mental illnesses, and mental retardation). The third section outlines the following aspects of creating a model library program for the disabled: (1) training of library staff, including components of an effective training plan (objective, structure, materials, contents, and review); (2) developing user assistance schemes, including a list of services that might be offered; and (3) offering special services, including services for the blind, speech and hearing impaired, physically challenged, and persons suffering from mental disability. (Contains 18 references.) (MES)