Kalimat Foundation has announced the distribution of 500 books printed in Braille and large letters to blind and visually impaired children in the UAE during the summer holidays to motivate them to love reading and learning.
This step comes as part of the summer campaign of the ‘I See’ initiative launched by the Foundation in 2017. The target audience was children aged between 5 to 12 years to facilitate their access to sources of knowledge and to enrich their educational experience.
Kalimat Foundation implemented the campaign in cooperation with the Sharjah-based Emirates Association for the Visually Impaired, which is concerned with facilitating the integration of the visually impaired into society, and the Abu Dhabi-based Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO), which includes under its umbrella all humanitarian agencies, social services institutions, and institutions concerned with people of determination in Abu Dhabi.
Amna Al Mazmi, Director of Kalimat Foundation, says, “In line with the directives of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, founder and president of Kalimat Foundation, we are committed to facilitating learning resources for every child in order to reinforce our mission to enrich children’s lives with science, knowledge, and diverse cultural experiences. Presenting 500 books for visually impaired children is part of the ‘I See’ campaign, an important step towards supporting the capabilities of these children and meeting their special educational needs within the framework of the broader goal of providing learning opportunities for all.
Adel Al Zomor, Chairman of the Emirates Association for the Visually Impaired says, “Access to books and learning opportunities is vital for children deprived of the shared learning experience and also to develop their passion for reading.”
Her Excellency Naama Abdul Rahman Al-Mansoori, Director of the Blind Care Department at the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination, stated that the Blind Welfare Department of the ZHO in cooperation with Kalimat Foundation contributed in distributing and delivering accessible books in Arabic to its members with visual challenges, as this cooperation aims to encourage people with disabilities. “We extend our thanks to Kalimat Foundation for this kind initiative, which will have a significant impact in raising the cognitive and cultural outcome of children with visual disabilities and enhancing their reading and writing skills.”
Kalimat Foundation launched the ‘I See’ initiative with the aim of promoting awareness on the issues of blind and visually impaired children, enriching their educational experiences, and encouraging them to participate in various cultural and knowledge programs in the UAE.
As part of this initiative, Kalimat Foundation has provided hundreds of accessible books in various formats, including audio and printed Braille and large print books, to all public libraries in the UAE and works to ensure the delivery of this type of knowledge and vital learning resources to various reading centers and new libraries across the country. 6000 books for blind and sight impaired children were distributed in the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Palestine, and Bahrain.
In an achievement that is the first of its kind within the publishing and education sector in the region, Kalimat Foundation launched 100 e-books in Arabic in the ePUB3 format. The Foundation continues its efforts to date, expanding the scope of this project by publishing more of these books and working to deliver them to visually impaired children around the world.
