Empowering Disables by Assistive Technology: The Role of IGNOU Library

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed an increase in number of disabled persons entering into the academic institutions including Universities. These special users require special attention because they constitute a large portion of our population who are trying to move into the mainstream of our society. Considering the needs of the disables, the academic libraries need to be equipped with different types of Assistive Technologies (AT), so that this underprivileged community can be empowered to become self reliant. Assistive Technologies used by differently abled people facilitates greater equity in the social, academic and economic public spheres. Author has tried to share some of the key advancements in assistive technologies as well as IGNOU library efforts towards empowering the disabled students to excel in educational environment. Assistive technology is not a need but in current scenario it has become the right for disables.