rightscom

Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies

Part2:Country studies

The Netherlands

Measuring success

The proportion of visually impaired people reached by services is only measured in a very limited way.

The cost to public or charitable funds is measured, and so is the cost to users.

Factors such as the range and depth of material available and the speed of supplying items are measured.

What users think of the service is measured.

The measures are not fixed and described. It is more a general impression, except for the number of titles being produced and distributed.

The subsidising Ministry and users organisations decide what measures are used. Targets are set by the subsidising Ministry. Targets are changed or raised occasionally.

Dedicon considers itself quite successful according to its own targets. It manages to produce and distribute more every year. It is the first organisation that implemented Daisy talking books completely (production, collection, distribution) in the world and improved its services immensely with this.