Case study of adapting literature for people with disabilities

The discussion provides a critical review of the system of adaptation of literature and teaching materials at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. The aim is to examine the advantages that the model brings, the challenges it faces, and the prerequisites necessary for further development and sustainability. The analysis shows that it is an example of good practice in higher education in Croatia, but also a system that requires constant improvement.

5.1. Advantages of the model

The strength of the model lies in the institutional collaboration between the Library, the Office for SSI and the Centre for e-Learning Support of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. This interdisciplinary approach reduces the possibility of overlapping tasks and enables the timely delivery of adapted materials. The standardised workflow (student request > adaptation > control > adapted literature) ensures consistency and transparency of the process. The possible integration of materials into e-courses further increases accessibility and benefits all students, not just those with disabilities.

5.2. Implementation challenges

Despite its advantages, the model faces a few challenges. The most important are limited human and technical resources, as quality adaptation (especially for complex scientific texts, graphs and tables) requires a large amount of time and expertise. Multilingual sources pose a particular challenge, as the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, offers many foreign language courses, where almost all literature is in a foreign language and script. Teachers are not always sufficiently educated about the principles of digital accessibility, which can lead to the creation of additional obstacles in online and hybrid teaching. Also, financial resources for the development and maintenance of software and hardware solutions are always provided, but they need to be planned and anticipated in a timely manner.

5.3. Prerequisites for quality and sustainability

For the model to be successful, clear format standards need to be introduced (e.g. DOCX with properly labeled titles, accessible PDF, EPUB or DAISY). Accessibility checklists and guidelines for teachers should be an integral part of every e-course. It is also important to develop an evaluation system, for example, monitoring the time needed for adaptation, student satisfaction and the impact on learning outcomes. Only through continuous improvement and education of all participants can the lasting quality and sustainability of the system be ensured.