Sharjah initiative to help visually-impaired read

Sharjah - Statistics indicate that there are 22 million people with visual problems in the Mena region, with the majority being children

The Kalimat Foundation for Children's Empowerment (KF) has launched 'Ara', an initiative which aims to promote awareness about children who are visually impaired and live with sight deficiency.
The Sharjah-based non-profit children's organisation that empowers children with humanitarian and cultural aid has conceived of the initiative to encourage society to support the education of those with special challenges.
Launched during the ninth edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2017), Ara seeks to highlight the experience of visual impairment and sight deficiencies. The project has allocated an interactive wall at Kalimat Group's SCRF pavilion to allow visitors to acquaint themselves with audio-books, as well as with the Braille tactile reading system. It aims to educate visitors about the challenges that the differently-abled face in all areas of life, especially in education.
"We have launched the Ara initiative in line with the directives of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder of KF, through which we aim to highlight the challenges facing children with visual impairment, including total loss of sight. We also want to show how we as a community can meet these challenges through the provision of special reading and educational material designed specifically for children with visual challenges," said Amna Al Mazmi, KF's manager.
"Statistics indicate that there are 22 million people with visual problems in the Mena region, with the majority being children. One of their main challenges is the paucity of suitable material that enables reading. These young people need our full support, advocacy and most importantly practical and effective solutions that empower them to engage with the educational process the same as their sighted peers," Al Mazmi added.
"This is why we decided to launch this initiative during SCRF, as the festival brings together educators, experts and publishers of children's literature who can partner with us and contribute to supporting differently-abled kids," she noted.
The 'Ara' initiative will be distributing 30,000 copies of a collection of selected books which are divided into three categories; large print, audio books and Braille books, each category comprising 10,000 copies. The initiative also displaying stationary and other accessories, such as bags, with its logo. Visitors are able to purchase the offerings, with all proceeds going to support KF's humanitarian efforts.
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