Braille Services By Zayed Authority Expand Inclusion For People Of Determination On World Braille Day

The Zayed Authority for People of Determination marked World Braille Day by stressing that Braille remains central to empowering people who are blind or visually impaired. The Authority highlighted Braille’s role in learning, independent living and social participation, while underlining that families are essential partners in supporting education, daily decisions and long-term autonomy.

During the current 2025/2026 academic year, 34 students benefited from Braille curriculum printing services, taking the cumulative total of student beneficiaries to 998 since 2006. For the first semester, 320 hard-copy Braille books were printed, bringing the overall number of printed copies provided by the service to 27,430 across the education system.

The Authority stated that Braille offers an effective route to independence and stronger community and family inclusion, matching the ambitions of the Family Year 2026. That national initiative aims to support a cohesive society with equal opportunities, where people who are blind or visually impaired can participate in education, work and public life on an equal basis.

Naeema Abdulrahman Al Mansoori, Director of the Department of Care for the Blind at the Authority, said, "celebrating World Braille Day aims to raise community awareness of the importance of Braille as a gateway to learning and knowledge, a tool that supports independence and a means of empowering people who are blind within their families and communities, while also addressing challenges in cooperation with relevant stakeholders."

The Department of Care for the Blind provides a wide set of services across government and private care and rehabilitation centres, inclusive schools and universities. These services cover Braille printing of books, curricula, cultural stories, exam papers and study summaries, alongside tactile learning tools, guidance manuals, digital formats, specialist training programmes and advisory support for students, parents and teachers.

Under the "Content for All" initiative, the Authority adapted 15 educational tools into Braille and printed the menus of "Ghafe" and "Erth" cafés at the Zayed National Museum in Braille. The Authority also reviewed, converted and proofread 700 directional signs and 42 descriptive panels at the museum, and supplied 10 libraries nationwide with Braille stories to widen cultural access.

Since 2007, Braille printing services for books, curricula and awareness materials have been made available to government bodies, private organisations and educational institutions. These services have supported 205 entities across the country, including seven entities added in 2025. In total, 3,500 Braille-printed guides were produced for institutions to help increase awareness and improve communication with people who are blind.

The Authority reported that 367 electronic Braille copies were created for the first semester of the current academic year, lifting the cumulative total of electronic copies to 10,087. Training and advisory work also expanded, with 229 beneficiaries of visual-impairment training services since 2016, 519 consultations between 2021 and 2025, and 19 awareness workshops held for government and private employees from 2023 to 2025.

The set of services, statistics and initiatives presented by the Zayed Authority for People of Determination shows a continued focus on Braille as a practical tool for inclusion. Through education support, content adaptation, training and guidance, the Authority maintains its efforts to align with national priorities and to strengthen opportunities for people who are blind across the UAE.

With inputs from WAM