Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — A good book can be the best companion. The American writer, John Green, said: “Put them (books) down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.”



The importance of reading for young children cannot be emphasized enough and that includes all children in our society, even the visually impaired.



They too have the right to enjoy the company of a good, high-quality, enlightening, and entertaining Braille book.



As part of Ebsar Foundation’s summer program for children with visual disabilities, their teachers and volunteers organized a visit to a branch of Jarir bookstore here to help foster in these children the love of reading.



This year’s summer program called “Building Hope” focuses on helping these kids gain the lifestyle skills that will make their daily routines at home and their integration with the general society much easier.



A number of field trips were implemented that were fun but also educational at the same time, such as going to the supermarket, a shopping mall, a park to help clean it up and play, someone’s apartment to acquaint them with the basic furniture in the home and how to move around it, and also to a bookstore.



“In previous years, we have frequently heard the common complaint from parents that their children with normal vision had enrolled in entertaining summer camps while the visually impaired sibling was left at home alone with nothing to do.



“So the idea of Ebsar’s summer camp started and this is its fifth year. We welcome children with blindness and partial blindness and even their siblings or the children of our own employees who have no impairment whatsoever.



“We have created a family of around 35 children who look out for one another, play together, and have formed rewarding friendships with each other,” Muhammad Tawfiq Billow, secretary general of Ebsar Foundation, told Saudi Gazette.



The children enjoyed the trip to the bookstore and they were given the chance to read and listen to stories.



However, Billow was disappointed by the dismal scarcity of books and interactive reading technologies for children with special needs in general, and more specifically the visually impaired.



“I noticed that the bookstores and libraries in our society do not take into consideration children with visual impairment.



“There is a sharp lack in Braille books, audio books on CD or cassette, and special books with very large print and bright catchy colors for those with only partial blindness.



“A parent of a blind child cannot simply go to any local bookstore and find a variety of interesting children’s books in Braille or audio recorded stories. “Bookstores and libraries across the Kingdom need to offer more to this segment of our society,” he added.



He also commented that the places and stores for selling books and reading in general are not properly adapted to meet the needs of the blind and visually impaired.



For example, stalls of books and other products are randomly erected in the middle of walkways which could be problematic to blind children. Also, the aisles which have bookshelves are not wide enough for children with special needs.