Zayed Authority for People of Determination: Braille as a Bridge to Knowledge and Family Empowerment in the Community Year 2026

998 student beneficiaries and 205 entities nationwide since 2006


On the occasion of World Braille Day, and in a milestone reflecting the integration of national values with the launch of the Family Year 2026, Zayed Authority for People of Determination reaffirmed its commitment to supporting and promoting Braille as a fundamental pillar for empowering people who are blind or visually impaired, enhancing their inclusion in society, and strengthening the role of the family as a key partner in the journey of education, independence, and empowerment.

The Authority emphasized that Braille is an effective tool for fostering independence and family and community inclusion, in line with the objectives of the Family Year 2026, which aims to build a cohesive society that ensures equal opportunities. It noted that since 2007, the Authority has continued to provide Braille printing services for books, curricula, and awareness publications, benefiting 205 entities nationwide as part of its support for government and private entities and educational institutions.

For her part, Her Excellency Naeema Abdulrahman Al Mansoori, Director of the Department of Care for the Blind at the Authority, affirmed that 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 to empower the role of people who are blind within their families and communities, while also addressing challenges in cooperation with relevant stakeholders.

She explained that the Department of Care for the Blind provides an integrated package of services across government and private care and rehabilitation centers, inclusive schools, and universities. These services include printing books, curricula, cultural stories, exam papers, and study summaries in Braille; producing tactile educational aids; providing publications and guidance manuals; preparing electronic versions; and delivering specialized training programs and advisory services for students, parents, and teachers.

The number of beneficiaries of Braille curriculum printing services for the 2025/2026 academic year reached 34, bringing the total number of student beneficiaries to 998 since 2006. The number of printed hard copies for the first semester of the current academic year reached 320 copies, with a cumulative total of 27,430 copies since the service began. Meanwhile, the number of electronic copies for the first semester reached 367, out of a total of 10,087 electronic copies.

The number of entities benefiting from Braille awareness publications increased to 205 entities, including seven entities in 2025, with 3,500 copies of guides for entities and institutions printed in Braille.

In the field of training, the number of beneficiaries of training services related to visual impairment since 2016 has reached 229 beneficiaries. The number of consultations provided between 2021 and 2025 reached 519, in addition to organizing 19 awareness and educational workshops for employees of government and private entities between 2023 and 2025.

Under the “Content for All” initiative, the Authority implemented a range of qualitative initiatives, including adapting 15 educational tools into Braille; printing the menus of “Ghafe” and “Erth” cafés at the Zayed National Museum in Braille; reviewing, converting, and proofreading 700 directional signs and 42 descriptive panels at the museum to enhance the interactive experience for visitors who are blind; and supplying 10 libraries nationwide with Braille-printed stories to support reading and access to cultural and knowledge content.