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

Part2:Country studies

Sweden

Definitions and their effects

Visually impaired people are defined as having a visual impairment that makes them unable to read printed text, including the blind. Print impaired people are defined as being unable to read printed text (ink-print) due to an impairment. Sweden does not have the concept “legally blind”.

The estimation is 1 per cent of the total population and has so far proved to be right. The definitions are inclusive enough.

According to the 2005 Copyright Act, all people who due to a disability cannot access a literary, musical or artistic work have the right to receive it in accessible format, be it audio, Braille, large print or an electronic format.

You can borrow talking books from your local library. No medical certificate is required. In addition to the stock at the local library you may borrow any talking book from the county library, and from TPB through the interlibrary service system.