ABU DHABI - Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) has signed a joint cooperation agreement with Al-Hudhud Publishing and Distribution for converting print publications into electronic versions suitable for visually impaired people.

The two sides agreed to produce 35 of Al-Hudhud's publications in Braille for the visually impaired to provide the reading opportunity for children and adolescents with visual impairment. Of the 43 copies of each publication to be printed, 20 copies each will be shared between the two sides. The remaining three copies will be sent to the authorities concerned to obtain the International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

The agreement was signed by Naameh Abdul-Rahman Al-Mansouri, Member of the Federal National Council and Director of the Welfare Department for the Visually Impaired at ZHO; and Yusr Al-Abaiji, Operational Director of Al-Hudhud Publishing and Distribution, in a ceremony at ZHO’s headquarters, in the presence of officials from both sides.

Under the agreement, ZHO will print copies of the publications allowed by Al-Hudhud in Braille and in Arabic and English, according to the approved list of books and stories.

Naameh Al-Mansouri praised the high-end literary content provided by Al-Hudhud for children and adolescents, and its cooperation with national institutions to advance the culture of society, develop its talents and energies, and present everything that is useful and constructive, as well as its participation in myriad areas of children's literature for creative and educational writing.

Al-Mansouri stressed ZHO’s keenness to promote the dissemination and use of Braille method in all walks of life, out of its commitment to support the efforts to empower and integrate people of determination into society, and to provide the finest means of care and rehabilitation for those with visual impairments.

She noted that the Welfare Department for the Visually Impaired are printing many educational publications in Braille for several government agencies and NGOs, as part of ZHO’s social responsibility and keenness to take part in community activities.

For her part, Yusr Al-Abaiji emphasised that producing books for children in Braille is an important step for Al-Hudhud to facilitate communication between children with visual impairments and writers and provide knowledge to all children according to their different needs and abilities.

“Launching this project in cooperation with ZHO embodies the importance of inclusiveness and equal opportunities in education, a new step in the initiatives aimed to empower people of determination, enhance their societal engagement and improve their quality of life,” she said.