Case study of adapting literature for people with disabilities

The analysis of the adaptation system for printed literature and teaching materials at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb is based on an overview of the organisational model, the roles of individual units, the university and national framework, and the digital and pedagogical adaptation procedures. Each of the key procedures in the support chain is explained below, highlighting the practical steps and their importance for ensuring accessibility for students with disabilities.

4.1. Process organisation (service flow)

The procedure begins with the submission of a request through an online form (which is the responsibility of the Office for Students with Disabilities), where the student lists the necessary literature. This is followed by assessment and planning, the library checks available sources and publishing rights, and CPEU determines formats (according to the requests of the student who submitted the request) and technical requirements. The processing phase follows, which includes scanning, OCR text recognition and creation of a structured document adapted to screen readers, i.e. the software and technical solutions used by the student. At the end, the materials are delivered to the student, who then gives feedback on the quality of the adaptation and additionally confirms the technical compatibility with the specification he gave in the initial request.

4.2. Roles of units

The Office for Students with Disabilities coordinates the process, confirms the student's status and makes official recommendations on the adaptation of the teaching process. The library participates in finding and preparing originals and aids in documenting and securing usage rights. The e-Learning Support Centre receives requests, implements technical adaptation, including digitisation, document structuring and access control. The cooperation of these units ensures that students receive high-quality adapted materials in a timely manner.

4.3. The wider university environment

The University of Zagreb, through its Office for Students with Disabilities, prescribes forms of support, provides training and coordinates the work of coordinators at the constituent units. This ensures consistency in approach and fair distribution of resources among different faculties. In practice, this means that faculties do not act in isolation, but within the framework of a broader university strategy. In this way, the support system at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, gains additional weight and coherence with the broader system of which it is a part.

4.4. Connection with digital accessibility and online learning

The materials are not only adapted for individual students but can be immediately prepared for use in a digital educational environment (Omega/Moodle LMS). This includes adding title structure, alternative descriptions for images and using formats that are readable with the help of assistive technology. Integration in the LMS ensures that all students in an e-college have access to the same content, and the universal learning design enables wider application beyond the target group of students with disabilities. In this way, adjustments are transformed into permanent added value of teaching. This takes place if requested by teachers who have received information from the Office for SSI that they will have students with disabilities enrolled in their e-college in the current semester.