Accessibility for people with ADHD is rarely covered by the research of Library and Information Science. University libraries, whose main task is to guide and provide services for students and researchers, have the means to support students with ADHD in several ways. Aside from educational support, these libraries offer a physical environment for studying. However, the existence of accessibility adaptation does not necessarily guarantee satisfaction among the group. The purpose of this paper was to examine the experiences of students with ADHD of the physical environment of their university libraries, of their sense of place. Additionally, this paper investigates how libraries can improve the design of their physical environment to meet the needs of these students. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic analysis. The findings resulted in two main themes: varying impact of social interaction and strategies and adaptation to the environment. Results showed that the library in some ways is well adjusted to their needs, but the students have to adjust to the environment in several ways because of some constraints. Additionally, the social aspects of the environment have a very big influence on the experience of the library. The prescence of other students can cause both stress and inspiration among the respondents, whose reactions would vary. Finally, a solution for a library design that would meet the needs of students with ADHD is universal design.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-220425 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Berg, Julia, Wuotila, Olivia |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Sociologiska institutionen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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