Qatari volunteers launch Braille menus to improve access for the blind

For the visually impaired, going to a restaurant can be a difficult undertaking. Mindful of the challenges and in an effort to make the experience more enjoyable, five young Qataris have launched a non-profit and volunteer-based initiative, “Give Me My Freedom.”

The campaign was started earlier this year in association with the Qatar Social and Cultural Center for the Blind(QSCCB), a governmental organization headed by blind and partially-sighted Qataris, in addition to equal-access advocates in the community.

Speaking to Doha News, Kaltham Al Kaabi, the campaign’s general manager, said that dining in restaurants is a major form of socializing, but that blind people avoid it because they must rely on someone to read them what’s available.

She added: “Braille menus will help in providing a certain amount of independence when choosing their meals in restaurants instead of having to listen to a long recitation of the menu or a waiter’s recommendation. The beauty of this campaign is that it joined effort between volunteers and blind QSCCB members in order to make Braille menus available to people who need it.”

Original article by Chantelle D’Mello

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Qatari volunteers launch Braille menus to improve access for the blind