The booth for the visually impaired by Al Noor Centre for the Blind at 31st Doha International Book Fair.
The 31st Doha International Book Fair offers a unique booth dedicated for the visually impaired – Al Noor Center for the Blind.
Exhibitor Mohamed Hashem told The Peninsula that the centre not only educates the children in terms of school curricula but also on learning skills by providing them with necessary tools that is an alternative of the eyes - in obtaining knowledge in general.
The booth features books in braille, braillewriter where it teaches you how to type in word using braille, braille typewriter, and also games like playing cards, UNO cards, and even chess with braille feature.
Hashem said the centre attracts experts from all over the country with special focus on Arab world.
“It focuses on basic learning methodology which is braille, it is not only publishing text books, but also other subjects out of the curricula,” he said.
“For example, the centre published braille in Holy Quran in an innovative way by printing it on both sides to reduce the size and volumes. If it was published on one side alone, it would be doubled in size. We have published it in six volumes instead of 12,” he explained.
Moreover, he said the centre is keen to provide braille teaching equipment like the “Braille Teacher,” which trains an individual how to read and write which is available at their booth for QR100.
According to Statista, in 2020 alone, 55 percent of people living with blindness were women, amounting to almost 24 million women. Meanwhile, 19 million men are living with blindness, 75 percent of which were 50 years and over.
Data from the Ministry of Public Health revealed that “Blue water (glaucoma) is the main cause of bilateral blindness in Qatar (39 percent), while the visual impairment rate is about 15 percent of all disabilities.”
The centre is under Qatar Foundation for Social Work. It aims to contribute to providing exemplary services for people with visual disability in the areas of education, rehabilitation, community awareness of their issues, and advocate human rights, to enable them achieve a more independent life and enhance their integration into society.
