Resource and Information Services Department is a key result area of the Kenya Institute for the Blind.
Resource and Information Services Department is a key result area of the Kenya Institute for the Blind.
The functions of this department include:-
Generally, the department ensures that education, communication, survival skills and other challenges faced by the persons with visual impairment are enabled successfully through the provision of resources and materials in accessible formats.
This department has the following sections:-
a) LIBRARY FOR PERSONS WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
b) CYBER CAFÉ FOR PERSONS WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
c) REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF BRAILLE MACHINE
d) SUPPLY OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES
K.I.B runs a national Braille library. It is the only one of its kind in the country.
This facility offers services to primary, secondary, tertiary level institutions and the general public Braille readers.
It has in stock about 5000 different titles in Braille, audio and large print formats. The titles cover all levels of educational and various disciplines. Most of these books are produced at the Institute’s Braille Press.
Other titles are donated from well-wishers from all over the world. We work in collaboration with Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) in order to ensure that our books reach as many clients as possible.
The following are the requirements for one to be a bonafide member of our library:-
Lending and borrowing can be done through a visit to the institute or through the post office.
Download our library catalogue from the Downloads Section of this website
KIB embraces technology for the purpose of the ease of doing business. The Institute operations are majorly computerized. The Institute’s ICT officers offer consultative and repair and maintenance services to the needs of the organization. The Institute owns a website which is maintained up-to-date with current events. The officers under this section also ensure technological conformity to the special needs environment with special emphasis on persons with visual impairment.
The Institute recently inaugurated a cyber café, the only one of its kind that caters for persons with visual impairment. The cyber has computers fitted with screen reader software that supports voice backup for such users. Regular users are also welcome to browse at competitive commercial rates. The VIs enjoys highly subsidized special annual rates for this service. Come and be part of this exciting initiative. The cyber café is dedicated to give specialized internet browsing for users with visual impairment. The cyber is well stocked with the latest technology to ensure accessibility by Visually Impaired Persons. The VI users pay an annual subscription fee of ksh. 1000, and no other levies are charged for browsing. Extra services such as printing, photocopying etc are charged separately. You may as well pay as you use as per the institute’s rates.
Braille machine repair and maintenance services are offered at the institute at an affordable fee. Our Technician is among the few in the country who have a Brailler Repair and Maintenance certificate from Perkins. We also offer Training of Brailler Repair and Maintenance as well as the production of tactile illustrations to the transcribers who train in our institution or who are already in schools. We intend to extend our services by working with other partners to establish a Brailler machine assembling unit.
Braille machine repair and maintenance services are offered at the institute at an affordable fee. Our Technician is among the few in the country who have a Brailler Repair and Maintenance certificate from Perkins. We also offer Training of Brailler Repair and Maintenance as well as the production of tactile illustrations to the transcribers who train in our institution or who are already in schools. We intend to extend our services by working with other partners to establish a Brailler machine assembling unit.
As a National Resource Centre, the department aims at doing research to establish the available assistive devices and other resources for the persons with visual impairment. So far we have acquired various resources which include:- Braillers, slates and stylus, white canes, Taylor Mathematical Slate among others, which we provide for sale. This department ensures that education, communication, survival skills and other challenges facing PWVI are alleviated through the provision of resources and other assistive devices.
The section is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the Institute’s automation processes are smoothly ensured. The section offers technical support to ensure up-to-date compliance.