Are Facilities Enough? Quality Access and Quality of Life for Disabled Users in Academic Libraries
Keywords:
academic libraries accessibility, disable library users, academic librarians, quality of library servicesAbstract
Academic libraries document accessibility through facilities, digital tools, assistive support, and staff assistance. For disabled users, these provisions support quality of life by enabling meaningful academic participation. This qualitative policy and document analysis compares accessibility benchmarks with public documentation from Perpustakaan Sultanah Bahiyah, Universiti Utara Malaysia (PSB/UUM), using a SERVQUAL-informed quality-access lens. Findings identify strong tangible provision alongside under-specified referral routes, response procedures, staff responsibility, digital usability, privacy, feedback, and dignity-centred interaction. The resulting Provision-to-Participation Quality Access Framework positions service-route translation as a means of connecting documented provision with autonomy, confidence, dignity, academic continuity, and institutional belonging.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Khairunnisa Johari, Haziah Sa'ari, Al Bakri Mohammad, Faizatush Sholikhah
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