Censo da Educação Superior questions as parameters for accessibility and inclusion policies in libraries: a case study of the Instituto Federal do Maranhão

Abstract

It presents an overview of the accessibility situation in the 23 university libraries of the Federal Institute of Maranhão, each serving specific campuses, a panorama seen from the perspective of the parameters of the Censo da Educação Superior 2023, aiming for these elements to act as indicators to accessibility policies and inclusion guide. The methodology is a quantitative case study with descriptive purposes, based on bibliographic, documentary and field research. This survey collected their answers to the questions in this census from the librarians, using a structured questionnaire. The data processed made it possible to describe the accessibility situation in these libraries, in which the need for more accessibility resources stands out and that obtaining them is not necessarily linked to the availability of funding, since several technological resources for accessibility are obtained free of charge. These data processing results also point to possible solutions for libraries to participate intensively in the institution's bodies that aim to promote accessibility, to establish accessibility and inclusion policies and to invest in technological skills and culture in favor of inclusion, as well as the promotion of enlightening campaigns, with guidance on how libraries can act to become more accessible. Finally, it was found that the questions from the Censo da Educação Superior are useful parameters to guide the diagnosis of the situation of libraries in terms of accessibility.