- Transportation – Transportation is a significant barrier for those requiring
use of a wheelchair and particularly where these individuals live in a
rural area. Transportation subsidies from government require significant
advocacy work to obtain. Access–A–Bus requires booking 14 days in advance. Literacy
programs in the more rural areas of HRM report that transportation is the
single most significant barrier for students who are either unable to drive
due to a disability or who do not have the financial resources to own a car.
- Assistive Technology – Only a very small percentage
of respondents offer any type of assistive technology
in their literacy programs, although most have access to computers
and the internet. However, where assistive technology is available, it
appears that it may be underutilized, perhaps because potential users
are unaware of its existence. For example, the North Branch Library in
Halifax has a computer equipped and configured with a variety of different
assistive technologies but it is not used extensively althoughit is advertised
along with all other library services.
Assistive technology is a significant issue for public access
computer / Internet sites, particularly as CAP sites are meant
to provide 'access for everyone'. In response to this issue, the Halifax
Regional CAP Association (HRC@P) has created a page on their website
dedicated to information about assistive technology products and links to related sites.17
32% of respondents to the needs assessment carried out by the Metro Deaf
Literacy Network indicated that they required computers to accommodate
their learning needs. During the focus group with learners, 100% of the participants
volunteered that they use or have used a computer. Some use it to do their
homework, others for e-mail and still others to supplement their learning. At
a very minimum, they were all familiar with using a computer to play games.
7. Funding
7.1. Program and Project Funding
Funding programs fall primarily into two categories – those
which support literacy programs and those supporting literacy projects. Program funding is generally
provided for core services and project funding is generally for short term
initiatives resulting in specific outcomes or deliverables.
17 http://hrca.ns.ca/
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