Fatima Muhammad
JEDDAH — The secretary-general of Ebsar Foundation has lamented a lack of books and facilities for the blind at the Jeddah International Book Fair. Mohammad Bello said he noticed during his visit to the fair a marked absence of books that target people with special needs, particularly the blind.
He called on intellectuals to address issues facing the disabled to increase awareness among the public about the struggles they go through. He urged them to talk about these issues in their lectures and writings, saying this was crucial to motivate the disabled people and their families.
Bello said he looked for a book in Braille with the help of a volunteer but there were none. He called for getting the blind people involved in this cultural movement by highlighting works for them as this could be a great support and encouragement for disabled individuals.
Bello called for translating foreign books that address disability in general and blindness in particular. "As more books get published, the awareness of the public about disabled people would increase," he added.
Bello expressed his disappointment with the book fair organizers as he had expected to find some new books transcribed into Braille.
He explained the need for providing the physically challenged people, many of who cannot afford to travel abroad to take part in book fairs, easy access to the event.
The absence of books in Braille and a lack of facilities indicated that the organizing committee did not expect the disabled or elderly people to visit the book fair, said Bello.
He hoped that the committee would cooperate in future book fairs with activists in the disabled sector.
