Ajman Tourism launches guide in Braille for blind and visually impaired tourists

Under the directions of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of the Emirate of Ajman and Member of the UAE Supreme Council, and His Highness Sheikh Ammar Bin Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, the Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) has announced the launch of Ajman Visitors’ Guide in Braille, the tactile writing system used by the blind and visually impaired.

Aimed at assisting tourists and residents who are blind and visually impaired to get information on the destination when visiting the emirate, the guides are written in English and Arabic in collaboration with Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs in Abu Dhabi.

The Braille visitors’ guide was introduced during the celebration of the World Sight Day (WSD), an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment, which falls on 15th of October.

HE Faisal Al Nuaimi, General Manager of ATDD expressed the importance of these community initiatives and their pivotal role in stimulating the society to serve the special needs categories, pointing out that the touristic guide of the Emirate of Ajman, will be showcased in the Braille language in international exhibitions the ATDD will be participating in such as the World Travel Market (WTM) in November.  

Naeima Abdul Rahman Al Mansouri, Director of Printing Press Centre for the Blind in Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs pointed out that the organization is keen to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream society at various levels, and also to provide brochures and publications printed in Braille to government agencies, with the aim to contribute in delivering messages, cultural information and awareness to people with visual disabilities.

Naeima also expressed her gratitude to the organization and its leadership for their support to people with disabilities, noting in this context that the Ajman touristic guide printed in Braille comes within the framework of efforts set by the organization which aims to integrate people with disabilities from all categories, particularly those with visual challenges.

Naeima said: “The information printed in “Braille” helps to apply cultural and social integration policy, contributes to its success, and raises to the level of services presented to our children with disabilities. Based on the most effective international practices, the team of the Printing Press Centre for the Blind put their efforts to print the Ajman Touristic guide in Braille and in both Arabic and English, in order to introduce to the people with blindness the development of tourism in the Emirate of Ajman. 

Naeima Mansouri also said that the organization welcomes various agencies and institutions in the country that want to convert their printed publications into "Braille" with and is keen to provide distinguished quality services for people with visual disabilities.

It is noteworthy that this initiative came through a proposal submitted by the two employees Roqaia Radwan and Jalila Alshibah, who were keen to present creative ideas to support social initiatives. Roqaia Radwan expressed her happiness with the proposal which has been applied and appreciated by the blind category. The brochure was introduced and tried before the launch by Mr. Abdelazia Jassim, an employee of customer relations at the Central administration in Emirate of Sharjah. Jalila Alshibah highlighted that this initiative comes as part of the continuous effort the department is doing to activate the community initiatives and the participation of all the categories, especially in the touristic sector.

The ATDD touristic guide was translated into several languages, namely Chinese Russian, German, English and Arabic.