Information Seeking Behaviour of Visually Challenge Students in Public Universities: A Study of University of Ghana, Legon and University of Education, Winneba.

The paper is on information seeking behaviour of the visually challenged students of University of Ghana, Legon and University of Education, Winneba. It investigates whether the services provided by these universities accommodated the information seeking behaviour of visually challenged students or not. The theoretical framework for the study was Wilson’s (1999) Information Behaviour Model. The survey method was used to collect data from visually challenged students in both universities. The major findings of the study were that only one of the universities surveyed provides special services for visually challenged students. There were no specific policies from both universities Resource Centre (RC)/ Office of Students with Special Needs (OSSN) for the provision of information services for this group of students. The visually challenged students got information to meet their academic needs through discussions with colleagues, visiting the RC/OSSN, browsing the Internet and relying on lecturers. Most of the students preferred electronic format depending on their level of sightedness. Also facilities such as equipment and staff were found to be inadequate. The challenges facing this group of students in seeking information include: over dependence of print materials, mobility problems, poor library facilities and slow Internet connectivity. Recommendations made include a written service policy, provision of assistive technology devices and computers with JAWS software to improve information services for these special groups of visually challenged students