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

Part2:Country studies

Japan

Models and responsibilities

Provision in Japan comes from a variety of public and voluntary sources. Basically each library delivers services using its own collection, but when producing materials, many libraries cooperate with outside voluntary groups. There are also some libraries that commission the production of materials by professional narrators by paying charges. In addition, there is a national network for mutual loan of materials, and services are provided in cooperation with libraries for the blind.

Service provision - general

Organisations involved in providing library services for visually impaired people are:

Public libraries: prefectural libraries and municipal libraries

Specialist libraries for visually impaired people

Voluntary/commercial organisations provide support services at public libraries and libraries for visually impaired people

The National Diet Library (national library - equivalent of Library of Congress) produces DAISY books (limited to academic material only).

Service provision - education

• Libraries at schools for the blind
• Services in mainstream schools

Most children with disabilities are educated in special schools, though there are provisions for exchange activities with mainstream schools and there is a trend towards integration embodied in a move from ‘special education’ to ‘special support education’, with e.g. provision of resource rooms in mainstream schools, though this seems to be aimed more at children with learning disabilities than physical disabilities. The government has not made a clear declaration in support of integrated education, however. There are 71 schools for the blind.