Kalimat Foundation expands Braille library for blind children

Ten new Braille storybooks, developed in partnership with the Zayed Authority for People of Determination, were released by Kalimat Foundation at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, extending access to literature for children aged three and upwards across the region.

Reading shapes how a child understands themselves and the world. For blind and visually impaired children across the Arab region, that possibility has been constrained by a scarcity of books in Braille. At the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair in November 2026, Kalimat Foundation will release ten new Braille storybooks in partnership with the Zayed Authority for People of Determination, marking a significant expansion of accessible Arabic literature for young readers.

The collection emerges from a partnership between Kalimat Foundation and the Zayed Authority for People of Determination, developed under the Ara initiative to broaden the stories available and address the logistical challenges that have constrained Braille publishing. Five titles come from Kalimat Group; five from other publishers: Altafarud Design and Publishing Services, Rabie Publishing House, HudHud Publishing and Distribution, Wow for Publishing and Educational Services, and Thaqafa Publishing and Distribution. The books target children aged three through nine and older, designed to give young readers the independence that comes with choosing and reading stories alone.

Amna Al Mazmi, Director of Kalimat Foundation, frames the release as part of a broader mission to dismantle the barriers that keep children from books. These ten titles represent not merely additions to a catalogue but a statement of principle: that accessible publishing should be the norm, not an exception.

Beyond the books themselves, Kalimat Foundation’s participation at the fair will demonstrate the ecosystem required to sustain accessible publishing. The Foundation’s stand will host storytelling and craft workshops led by storyteller Haytham Shokry, with dedicated sessions for blind and visually impaired children and inclusive workshops bringing their sighted peers and families together.

As we reported, the Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA) advanced dialogue on accessible publishing at the fair, including two dedicated sessions. The first, at the Sharjah International Publishers Conference, highlighted the UAE’s implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty and its collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Accessible Books Consortium to build accessibility into publishing from the beginning and expand accessible Arabic-language content. A roundtable at SIBF introduced the ABC Global Book Service and demonstrated an AI-assisted tool that converts content into accessible formats, a technical bridge between traditional publishing and readers with visual disabilities.

Kalimat Foundation was founded in Sharjah in 2016 by H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, who serves as its Chairperson. The Foundation operates two principal programmes: Ara, focused on children with visual disabilities, and Pledge a Library, supporting children facing displacement and disadvantage. According to figures reported in October 2026, Pledge a Library has distributed 240 portable libraries and more than 30,000 accessible books, reaching over 170,000 children in 36 countries.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

For Abu Dhabi families, the work of Kalimat Foundation and the Zayed Authority for People of Determination demonstrates the emirate’s investment in inclusive education and the principle that disability should not limit a child’s access to knowledge and culture. As accessible publishing becomes embedded in how books are created and distributed, reading moves closer to being truly universal.

For Abu Dhabi families, the work of Kalimat Foundation and the Zayed Authority for People of Determination demonstrates the emirate’s investment in inclusive education and the principle that disability should not limit a child’s access to knowledge and culture. As accessible publishing becomes embedded in how books are created and distributed, reading moves closer to being truly universal.

Source: WAM