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

Part2:Country studies

South Africa

Definitions and their effects

Census definition

The 2001 Census asked people if they had a serious disability which prevented them from full participation in life activities and then to identify it as related to sight, hearing, communication, physical, intellectual, or emotional. This question was more wide ranging than that asked in the 1996 census, which simply asked people if they had a serious disability, classified as sight, hearing/ speech, physical or mental. Multiple answers were possible in both cases.

In response to the 2001 question, sight was the biggest category of disability at 32%.

Blindlib told us that the problem with this definition is that includes all forms of visual impairment together, and could both overstate the numbers of people with a visual impairment and understate the numbers of people with special reading needs, whether related to learning disabilities or psychological barriers. They believe this makes it extremely difficult for them to know who their target market is, either demographically or geographically, and “not only is our service compromised, but the very people who are in dire need of this service are marginalised.”

Blindlib itself defines “visual impairment” as referring to blind and partially sighted people and people who have a physical disability and are unable to read regular print. “Print impairment” would be defined by Blindlib as referring to Dyslexia, ADD, and being physically unable to hold a regular book. The term “People who are unable to read in the normal manner” is often employed by organizations for the blind.

Blindlib makes it conditional for membership that an authority, such as an Opthalmologist, Medical Doctor, Social Worker, or suitably qualified person of integrity verifies visual impairment on the application form. But as a frame of reference for Blindlib it is not inclusive enough as there is no direct reference to people who have learning disabilities like dyslexia.