English
Received 26.07.2024, Revised 21.10.2024, Accepted 25.11.2024
This study aimed to explore the socio-cultural perception of disability and to examine the role of special libraries for the blind in the development of an inclusive society. This article provided a detailed analysis of socio-cultural approaches to the phenomenon of disability and highlighted the importance of special libraries for the blind in promoting an inclusive culture within society. It was determined that specialised libraries for visually impaired individuals played a crucial role in shaping an inclusive environment through the implementation of contemporary initiatives and programmes. Their activities not only ensure access to information, but also broaden opportunities for self realisation among people with disabilities, fostering stronger social connections and promoting a positive societal attitude towards inclusion. Particular attention was given to the shift in perspectives on disability, from the purely medical model to a socio-cultural approach, which views disability as a result of an individual’s interaction with the social environment. The article presented specific examples of successful projects implemented by special libraries for the blind, which have contributed to the development of an accessible information space and the realisation of inclusion principles. The influence of such libraries on expanding social interactions for visually impaired individuals, facilitating their adaptation, and integrating them into cultural life was examined. Emphasis was placed on the role of specialised libraries as active participants in social integration processes, providing a platform for inclusive initiatives and collaborative partnerships. The findings of this study can be utilised to develop strategies for integrating individuals with disabilities into the cultural domain, as well as to establish new models of cooperation between libraries, government institutions, and non-governmental organisations
social exclusion; social cohesion; cultural adaptation; barrier-free environment; innovative projects
[1] Accessibility of government websites for people with disabilities. (n.d.). Universal design. Retrieved from https://ud.org.ua/biblioteka/prezentatsiji/298-dostupnist-derzhavnikh-veb-sajtiv-dlya-lyudej-z-invalidnistyu.
[2] Accessible libraries. The vision and print impaired people’s promise. (n.d.). Reading Sight. Retrieved from https://readingsight.org.uk/accessible-libraries/.
[3] Adamenko, M. (2024). The concept of “Diversity. Equity. Inclusion”. Why is it important for libraries? Blog of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://oth.nlu.org.ua/?p=8872.
[4] Aleksyeyenko, K. (2023). In search of inclusion in libraries: Equality, diversity, participatory approach. Zbruc. Retrieved from https://zbruc.eu/node/115575.
[5] Asharenkova, N. (2006). Serving users with special needs in public libraries. Services that are becoming a reality for Ukraine. Library Planet, 1, 7-11.
[6] Becker, H.S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the sociology of deviance. New York: The Free Press.
[7] Brassai, S.T., Bakó, L., & Losonczi, L. (2011). Assistive technologies for visually impaired people. Acta Universitatis Sapientiae. Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, 3, 39-50.
[8] Convention No. 995_g71 “On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. (2010, March). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/995_g71#Text.
[9] Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 533/2020 “On Ensuring the Creation of Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine”. (2020, December). Retrieved from https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/5332020-35809.
[10] Durkheim, É. (1956). Education and sociology. New York: The Free Press.
[11] Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline & punish: The birth of the prison. (Trans. by A. Sheridan). New York: Vintage Books.
[12] Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. New York; London; Toronto: Simon & Schuster Inc.
[13] Hartnett, M., Butler, Ph., Mentis, M., Carvalho, L., & Kearney, A. (2020). Public libraries as spaces for digital inclusion: Connecting communities through technology. New Zealand: University of New Zealand. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20489.98402.
[14] Horchynska, V. (2023). Inclusion in the library. Blog of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://oth.nlu.org.ua/?p=7738.
[15] Horchynska, V. (2024). Library projects for 2024 (Part 3). Blog of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://oth.nlu.org.ua/?p=9860.
[16] Husserl, E. (1970). The crisis of European sciences and transcendental phenomenology: An introduction to phenomenological philosophy. Evanston: Northwestern University Press.
[17] Jaeger, P.T., Wentz, B., & Bertot, J.C. (2015). Accessibility, inclusion, and the roles of libraries. In Accessibility for persons with disabilities and the inclusive future of libraries (Vol. 40, pp. 1-8). Leeds: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. doi: 10.1108/S0065-283020150000040008.
[18] Kunanets, N. (2013). Differentiated service for users with special needs. In International scientific conference “Adaptation of tasks and functions of a scientific library to the requirements of development of digital information resources”. Kyiv: Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine.
[19] Law of Ukraine No. 32/95-VR “On Libraries and Librarianship”. (2022, January). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/32/95-%D0%B2%D1%80#Text.
[20] Law of Ukraine No. 4170-IX “On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine”. (2024, December). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/875-12#Text
[21] Malanii, N. (2018). Disability and invalidity: Genealogy of the terms. "Pivdennyi Arkhiv" (Collected Papers of Philology), 74, 140-143.
[22] Mead, G.H. (1934). Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[23] Meena, J. (2022). Library services for people with disabilities: Accessible technology. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 3(2), 602-608. doi: 10.29121/shodhkosh.v3.i2.2022.2191.
[24] Merton, R.K. (1968). Social theory and social structure. New York: Free Press.
[25] Myskevych, T. (2018). Information socialization of users with special needs in the modern Ukrainian library. Academic Papers of Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, 49, 183-185.
[26] Odnovolykova, O., Novosolova, S., & Hlavcheva, Yu. (2022). Providing a barrier-free environment: A library component. Bulletin of the National Technical University “KhPI”. Series: Actual Problems of Ukrainian Society Development, 2, 66-71. doi: 10.20998/2227-6890.2022.2.13.
[27] Official website of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/nls/.
[28] Official website of RNIB Library. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.rniblibrary.com/.
[29] Official website of Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. (2024). Retrieved from http://www.nbuv.gov.ua/.
[30] Order of the Cabinet of the Ministers of Ukraine No. 285-r “On Approval of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the Period up to 2025”. (2021, April). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/285-2021-%D1%80#Text.
[31] Order of the Cabinet of the Ministers of Ukraine No. 366-r “On Approval of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine until 2030”. (2021, April). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/366-2021-%D1%80#Text.
[32] Parsons, T. (2005). The social system. Milton Park: Taylor & Francis.
[33] Pashkova, V. (2010). Ukrainian library association: Analysis of the implementation of strategic directions of development in 2006-2009. Bulletin of the Book Chamber, 2, 19-25.
[34] Projects of the Inclusive Reading Room department. (2015). Official website of Zhytomyr Regional Universal Scientific Library named after O. Olzhych. Retrieved from https://www.lib.zt.ua/ua/incluziv_center.
[35] Public project: Budget for urban initiatives. (2019). Khmelnytskyi City Centralised Library System. Retrieved from https://www.cbs.km.ua/?dep=review&dep_cur=82&dep_up=0&review_id=53&w=show_review.
[36] Reading and books. (n.d.). RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/independent-living/reading-and-books/.
[37] Regulation on the honorary award of the Ukrainian Library Association “Inclusive library”. (2018). Ukrainian Library Association. Retrieved from https://ula.org.ua/pro-nas/vidznaky-asotsiatsii/3964-inkliuzyvna-biblioteka.
[38] Rivtin, O. (2021). How to adapt a website for people with visual impairments. Ain. Retrieved from https://ain.ua/2021/12/06/yak-adaptuvaty-sajt-dlya-lyudej-iz-porushennyamy-zoru/.
[39] RNIB National Library Service. (n.d.). NHS. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/services/service-directory/rnib-national-library-service/N10501156.
[40] Rozkolupa, N. (2024). Methodological recommendations on creating a barrier-free space in a public library. Кyiv: Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine.
[41] Shcherbyna-Yakovleva, O., Klochko, M., & Shcherbyna, A. (2019). Didactics, logic, methodology. In O. Shcherbyna-Yakovleva (Ed.), Management of socio-cultural activity as a field of scientific and technological knowledge. Sumy: Sumy State University.
[42] Sinelnikov, S. (2021). Inclusive culture as the main aspect of the integration of inclusive education to the modern educational environment. Bulletin of Hlukhiv Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Pedagogical University. Pedagogical Sciences, 47, 225-235. doi: 10.31376/2410-0897-2021-3-47-225-235.
[43] Stentsel, Ye. (2022). What is inclusiveness and barrier-free? Inclusion in Ukraine. Beetroot Academy. Retrieved from https://beetroot.academy/blog/inklyuzivnist-ta-bezbariernist.
[44] The IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022. (2022). International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/public-library-manifesto/.
[45] The Marrakesh Treaty No. 999_001-13 “On Facilitating Access to Published Works for the Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Disabled Persons to Perceive Printed Information”. (2023, September). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/999_001-13#Text.
[46] Tiurkedzhy, N., & Marina, O. (2023). Inclusive library as an agent of changes in society. Visnyk of Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, 64, 84-94. doi: 10.31516/2410-5333.064.06.
[47] Universal design: How to get closer to students with special educational needs. (2018). Na urok. Retrieved from https://naurok.com.ua/post/universalniy-dizayn-yak-stati-blizhche-do-uchniv-z-osoblivimi-osvitnimi-potrebami.
[48] Vasylchenko, S., Solonska, N., & Voskoboynikova-Guzeva, O. (2002). Library and information service for people with disabilities. Library Bulletin, 1, 37-41.
[49] Vishwakarma, S., & Sharma, H. (2019). Library services to persons with visual impairment. International Journal of Library Information Network, 4(2), 16-27.
[50] Weber, M. (1949). The methodology of the social sciences. (Trans. by E.A. Shils & H.A. Finch). New York: Free Press.
[51] Yakushchenko, L. (2019). Actual problems of social protection of people with disabilities. Analytical Note. Series “Social Policy”, 9, 1-11.
[52] Yaroshchuk, V. (2005). Library services for people with special needs. Library Planet, 3, 10-12.
Українська