Best Practical Practices
Kenya
Recognition of the needs of visually impaired people in Kenya was given a significant boost when a librarian in Kenya went blind in the late 1990s. He remained in employment after receiving rehabilitation training but, more significantly, the needs of visually impaired people unable to read the printed word were subsequently considered at a national level. He is now about to graduate with a Masters degree in Library and Information from Kenyatta University.
The Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB) and the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) discussed the possibility of developing “Braille Corners'” in Public Libraries in Kenya. As a result of a grant from the Department for International Development in the United Kingdom, managed through the British Council, the UK Royal National Institute for the Blind was able to run workshops in Kenya to familiarize KNLS Management and Librarians with the needs and requirements of visually impaired people. Then, Braille Corners housed in Public Libraries at Provincial and District level across Kenya began to be rolled out. Africa Braille services, FORCE foundation and Sightsavers have thereafter partnered with KNLS in various trainings and workshops. The UK Rotary Club, in collaboration with its Thika branch, donated 100 audio book navigators and two laptops so that visually impaired persons users can now borrow leisure reading materials as well as informational material to read at home.
At the present time there are 42 Braille Corners serving over 10,000 registered users. The Library provides other facilities for blind users, in particular Perkins Braillers. Where a registered user is unable to visit the library, a family member may collect books for them so long as the family member can present the registered membership card.
The Nairobi Main Library has 900 titles available in Braille, large print and audio and the stock increases each year. This Library has developed additional services for schools. There are 15 schools within 200 kms. of the library that benefit from an outreach service under which a new stock of accessible books is delivered to each school each month and the old ones are retrieved and recycled to other schools where there are visually impaired children.
Other institutions such as the Kenyatta University Library and Daystar University provide services for blind users. The latter is closely working with KNLS for inclusion of visually impaired persons in the university life. The World Bank Public Information Center has a major role in the provision of information and communications technologies services for the blind, including Internet access and research tools.
