Setting Up a Computerized Catalog and Distribution Database of Alternative Format Materials for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons in Nigeria

The purpose of the project discussed in this article was to set up a computerized catalog and distribution database of alternative materials for visually impaired people in Nigeria. The project was based on the need to open wider the gates of information resources, nationally and internationally, to this category of information users by identifying the location and availability of resources throughout Nigeria and creating a database for access and retrieval. Another purpose was to create a template for database entry, which could be replicated by other developing countries. A state-by-state survey of educational institutions, state libraries, and nongovernmental organizations serving the visually impaired in all of the thirty-six states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was conducted. Three sets of data were gathered from a template for data entry of alternative materials and two questionnaires for institutions and the blind and visually impaired students. A database was designed and created using Microsoft Access. An American Disability Act (ADA) compliant Web site was designed, which has a "text-only" version for browsing by visually impaired persons (see www.alvi-laris.org).