Malawi National Library Service: Use of Free and Open Software improves access to knowledge for visually impaired library users

A case study from the EIFL-FOSS programme which outlines how the Malawi National Library Service used FOSS tools to improve the library experience for patrons with a print impairment

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ABOUT THE RESOURCE

TYPE:
Case Study
AUTHOR:
Sumani, Chimwemwe
DATE:
December 2013
LICENCE:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
DOCUMENT LANGUAGE:
English
OTHER LANGUAGES:
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The Malawi National Library case study highlights how one librarian used their library's strategic plan to drive a programme of supporting disabled patrons with FOSS tools.

By strengthening internal connections between units within the library and collectively administering a survey of disabled patrons and their needs, Chimwemwe Sumani, an IT Specialist at the Malawi National Library Service, implemented a range of FOSS tools on all public access computers at three sites.

Through her work vision impaired patrons now are able to read the text on the screen more clearly through an on-screen magnification tool and assistance with locating the mouse cursor, among other things. 

The response has been very positive. There are plans to extend the range of FOSS tools available.

EIFL General
Malawi