Behavior of informational visually impaired students of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB

Abstract

Introduction: The information retrieval process it relates with the individual's needs and how he search for the information necessary to make up their cognitive gap, seizing information and transforming it into knowledge, involving intellectual skills such as decoding and interpretation, allowing to establish a relationship between existing knowledge and through the new information’s. Objective: Analyze the information behavior of visually disabitily students of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) assisted by the Center for Special Education (NEDESP). 

Methodology: This is a descriptive research with quantitative and qualitative approach. It was used as an instrument for data collection a questionnaire applied with ten users that has visually disability. The model of information seeking behavior developed by David Ellis guided the research. 

Results: The results shows that the main needs of search and information are associated with the routine activities of the university, such as seminars, proofs and articles. In the seek process, they use the internet as their main source of information. The suitability of the information with the user's needs is realized by searching for trusted sources, trust in friends, filtering the relevant information, dissemination of information by several people and consolidating information. The major difficulties are the lack of accessibility in websites internet and the absence of materials available in Braille. 

Conclusions: In this way, it is necessary to take corrective, preventive and assistive measures by the University, to suply the informational gaps and adapt the real needs of the visually disability.