15 March 2015
The workshop aims to assist the visually impaired with benefitting from advanced technologies

Dubai - The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), hosted today a special workshop dedicated to empower and train the visually impaired at its Dubai office. The workshop, organized by the UAE mGovernment Centre of Digital Innovation (CoDI) aims to empower the visually impaired and train them to benefit from a full range of advanced technologies which will better facilitate their life and help them cope with the working environment thus boost their independence so that they take charge of their everyday life.
 
In the presence of over 40 visually impaired attendees, the workshop's rich agenda included various presentations in addition to interactive discussions on the services offered by mGovernment Centre of Digital Innovation (CoDI) and how to use them in addition to the registration in the smart platform of the training program and how to enroll in training programs by e-learning techniques. The training was moderated by Fatima Rumaithi,  trainer  at CoDI and she's herself one of the visually impaired who have excelled in her career for over 10 years, relying on Arabic and English language solutions that help visually impaired to use all programs.
 
"This workshop comes as part of our social responsibility program directed towards raising awareness and highlighting the importance of empowering citizens of the United Arab Emirates and supporting their efforts to overcome various challenges and take charge of their lives. This move is one of the initiatives aimed to introduce smart learning methods and smart services and applications and explore the various ways to use them in this area," said H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, TRA Director General.

"This workshop falls within the framework of several initiatives launched by the Authority to empower people with special needs and enable them to contribute to the ongoing development efforts taking place in the UAE in all areas and requires mobilizing all national capabilities in all fields," H.E added.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with Emirates association of the Visually Impaired in Sharjah, with participation from many entities including "Al Ain Center of Care and Rehabilitation for people with special needs", UAE University, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Environment and water, Hamdan University, Special Education Support Center in Fujairah, General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, and Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care.  The event witnessed remarkable and interactive participation by the attendees who have shown significant interest in using smart technologies presented during the workshop.

-Ends-

About the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
TRA is building the core ICT regulatory framework for the UAE's burgeoning knowledge economy. ICT development underpins economic growth and social advancement, and is a critical pillar in the nation's broader 2021 Vision.

The TRA supports the UAE's ICT sector by safeguarding competition to protect the interests of subscribers, enhancing the readiness of e-services, encouraging investment, innovation and development, whilst facilitating a broader ecosystem for human capital development.

For more information about the TRA, please visit: www.tra.gov.ae.

© Press Release 2015