Meeting Minutes

Notes from the meeting held at the University of East London, Docklands Campus

Present: Margaret Coutts (University of Kent) (Chair), Joanne Knight (British Library), Eileen Nazha (Queen Mary), Carole Pickaver (University of Kent) Judith Preece (University of East London), Olwen Revill (SGHMS), Colin Smith (Surrey University)

Judith Preece was welcomed to her first meeting as a member of the Working Group.

1. Apologies

Nikki Trigg (University of Westminster), Mara Uzzell (Surrey University)

2. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising

The minutes were accepted as an accurate record.

Matters arising:

Transcription Centre for visually-impaired users - users - re. the possibility of establishing it at the British Library - a specification had been received, but the BL would not be taking action on it at present. Carole Pickaver had investigated other transcription centres in the RNIB , Leeds, Cardiff, Peterborough, London and others. The RNIB has a national network, which people should be encouraged to use. Suggested that someone from RNIB should come to talk to us about transcription centres.

Membership: There had been no further response on the inclusion of more library directors on the Group.

E-mail list: Lis-dis-SE had a low level of usage at present. Decided that it should be promoted on the M25 web page.

Contacts list: Reported that Nikki has this in hand.

Training sessions: The two sessions that had been held, on Dyslexia and on Deaf Awareness had been very well received, with plenty of positive feedback. The opportunity to network with other libraries on these issues had been particularly welcome.

SCONUL Taskforce on Access for Users with Disabilities document - noted that this had been published and could be bought for £25.

BL Focus Group: there had been meetings of two groups, both well attended. Users thought that, while the BL had done a lot to address the needs of disabled users, there was still more that needed to be done. Some good ideas had been presented. A Disability Working Group had now been set up. It was apparent that users didn't always know what facilities the BL had. A newsletter had been set up to let people know. Suggested that it would be useful for the M25 website to include profiles of what individual libraries were doing.

Training in assistive technology: suggested it would be useful for libraries in the same area to collaborate. Email lists would be valuable for this - we should find out what lists for the M25 existed, and what did they cover. Eileen would contact Suzanne Enright's secretary. [Action EN]

Disability re. M25 Access: we should send out an email to find out what the policies were in M25 institutions for external users needing special facilities.

3. Reports to the Steering Group

Margaret's reports to the M25 Steering Group on the work of the Working Group were attached.

4. Library Survey

Margaret reported that the questions had not yet been formulated - there was concern that the data should be able to be analysed quickly. This was not yet possible, so it was thought better to leave it for now.

5.Training Events

Margaret reported that the Steering Group had been very pleased with the programme we had so far set up. £2000 had been allocated for next year, so that we could organise 2 or 3 events without charging.

Suggestions for future events:

• Mental health - a session during the Autumn term? Jo would look into organising one. [Action JK]
• Visual impairment - a session possibly to include transcription centres. Eileen would ask Paul Jarman about it. [Action EN]
• Assistive technology - Judith would look into this. [Action JP]
• Working with disabilities units, and links with disability co-ordinators - we thought the focus of such a session needed to be defined more closely. Carole would investigate. [Action CP]

6. Finance

A question was raised about dealing with the finance for our training events when there was a charge for them. Margaret would ask the M25 Treasurer how we should handle this. [Action MC]

7. Website management (standing item)

There had been no further progress on this. The information on it should be updated - it was suggested that this could be a suitable job for someone on work placement at the University of Kent. [Action MC, CP]

8. New publications re. SENDA and libraries (standing item)

Margaret reported that she had been approached by Facet Publishing to edit a book on access to libraries for disabled people - due for publication ca. Sept. 2004.

9. Assistive technology

We should put guides on our website.

We also needed to investigate the minimum equipment that was considered necessary. Olwen undertook to ask the University of Southampton, which has a well-equipped access centre, for advice. [Action OR]

10. AOB

We should make sure that our documentation can be produced in alternative formats - discuss this at our next meeting.

It was thought that our relationship with CLAUD was unclear, and that we should seek to clarify it. [Action MC?]

Margaret thought that the main things in our plan for the next year had now been addressed, and that the Steering Group was very pleased with the work of this Group overall.

11. Date of next meeting

October? - Eileen would contact group members to arrange the next meeting.

EN - 21.08.03