Digital Accessibility for Visually Impaired Users in Digital Services: Case PIKI Online Library
Bakir, Berfin (2024)
2024
Yhteiskuntatutkimuksen maisteriohjelma - Master's Programme in Social Sciences
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2024-08-14
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202406056743
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202406056743
Tiivistelmä
This master's thesis explores the digital accessibility of library services for visually impaired users through a case study of the Pirkanmaa Online Library in Finland. The purpose of this study is to understand how visually impaired users experience digital accessibility in digital library services. According to the European Union, public sector bodies must adhere to digital accessibility rules defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as part of the Web Accessibility Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/2102). The European Union's Web Accessibility Directive mandates that public sector websites, including public libraries, comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This study aims to assess how visually impaired users interact with and navigate the digital services offered by the PIKI Online Library.
The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with seven visually impaired Finnish-speaking individuals. Interview questions aimed to answer research question: How visually impaired users experience digital accessibility in digital library services? Research participants tested the PIKI Online Library's digital services. The interviews, guided by a conceptual framework, explored user experiences and challenges in accessing digital library materials.
The findings revealed that despite these EU digital accessibility laws and regulations, public sector bodies might fail to fully comply with these rules. Visually impaired users have diverse digital accessibility needs, and despite these varying needs, the research participants shared a common understanding of digital accessibility features in digital services.
The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with seven visually impaired Finnish-speaking individuals. Interview questions aimed to answer research question: How visually impaired users experience digital accessibility in digital library services? Research participants tested the PIKI Online Library's digital services. The interviews, guided by a conceptual framework, explored user experiences and challenges in accessing digital library materials.
The findings revealed that despite these EU digital accessibility laws and regulations, public sector bodies might fail to fully comply with these rules. Visually impaired users have diverse digital accessibility needs, and despite these varying needs, the research participants shared a common understanding of digital accessibility features in digital services.