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Khon Kaen University Library has forged a comprehensive partnership with blind educational institutions in Khon Kaen, aiming to provide equal access to valuable knowledge resources for individuals with visual disabilities, thereby promoting inclusive learning and lifelong education.
A pivotal aspect of this endeavour entails crafting audiobooks of international calibre, meticulously designed to uphold stringent quality benchmarks, with the explicit goal of narrowing the accessibility divide and affording individuals facing visual obstacles an equitable avenue to information and educational avenues.
This collaboration between Khon Kaen University and the blind educational institutions within the region strives to empower individuals with visual impairments through the medium of exceptional audiobooks, fostering a learning atmosphere characterised by inclusivity and accessibility. In doing so, it aspires to enhance the lives of all participants engaged in the journey of knowledge acquisition and personal growth.
The Director of Khon Kaen University Library, Assoc Prof Dr Supat Sinawat, highlighted its inclusive mission to facilitate lifelong learning for individuals of all genders and ages while recognising their diverse needs and limitations, “We focus on producing audiobooks as a powerful tool to enhance knowledge and information accessibility for the visually impaired, a significant step towards promoting equal educational opportunities for all segments of society.”
The audiobook learning support programme operates seamlessly through four crucial steps, ensuring its continuous impact and inclusivity. The initial step involves a profound understanding of the needs of the visually impaired, revealing the pivotal role audiobooks play in broadening their access to diverse knowledge. This assessment highlights the desire for more learning topics and underscores the importance of supporting this community.
The subsequent step focuses on building the necessary skills for audiobook production. The personnel of KKU Library benefit from dedicated training provided by experts from blind educational institutions in Khon Kaen. This specialised instruction equips the KKU Library team with the crucial skills required to produce high-quality audiobooks. Furthermore, they are prepared to assume the role of mentors or “audiobook coaches,” facilitating the involvement of volunteers and those interested in contributing to future audiobook production.
A significant aspect of this initiative revolves around integrating a spirit of volunteerism. Individuals from students and staff to the general public, all recognising the significance of learning and the desire to create opportunities for the visually impaired, come together in this collaborative step.
Library personnel, serving as audiobook coaches, organise workshops to empower volunteers, ensuring they possess the skills needed to co-create audiobooks of exceptional quality. This collective effort aims to deliver standardised audiobooks, a powerful resource for the visually impaired.
The climax of this comprehensive initiative culminates in a noteworthy event, marked by the presentation of the finalised audiobooks, a moment infused with profound significance. These audiobooks are carefully crafted to be invaluable tools, serving as a crucial pillar of learning support and offering immense benefits to students and individuals with visual impairments who display genuine interest.
The involvement of enthusiastic and committed volunteers further enriches this occasion. This audiobook learning support programme is a testament to the university’s commitment to fostering sustainable societal progress.
