E-books initiative for the disabled launched

The Qatar Assistive Technology Centre (Mada) has made it possible for people with “print disabilities” in Qatar and the region to be able to read content online.

Mada director and CEO Faleh al-Naemi said the initiative was made possible after the Centre partnered with the California-based bookshare.org.

For the first time, over 23,000 books in accessible electronic format will be made available for free to people whose disability makes it very difficult or impossible to read standard print, officials said.

The collection includes contemporary bestsellers to important academic references.

An accessible electronic book (e-book) is text produced in a format that can be read by a person with disabilities ranging from blindness to vision impairment.

The initiative is also expected to benefit people with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, as well as those with physical disabilities.

“This partnership reflects our work with international partners in bringing the benefit of technology to people with disabilities in Qatar,” al-Naemi said.

Mada, an initiative of the Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology (ictQatar), since opening in June 1, has been striving to connect people with disabilities to ICT and improving their lives in the process.

“It is an important step in ensuring that people with disabilities gain access to a wide range of titles at home, at school, and at workplace,” al-Naemi said.

Bookshare CEO Jim Fruchterman said: “We welcome the Qatari initiative as a real commitment to an inclusive society.”

Initially, the books will be in English-language, but Mada is actively working with Bookshare, regional and local partners, as well as publishers to develop accessible e-books in Arabic.

Through Mada, eligible people will be given a one-year membership to download books in accessible e-format, including Daisy Talking Book format (dtb).

They will first be assessed by assistive technology experts at Mada, following which they will be provided with a username and password to start accessing books, make searches, and download content.

Bookshare.org carries yearly subscription fees starting from as low as $75 but going up to as much as $500.

However, Mada’s partnership has made it possible for registered users to utilise the learning tool for personal or professional development for free.

According to al-Naemi, the next step for Mada is to focus on getting as much Arabic-language content up as possible, followed by making it available to the GCC region.

The project intends to deliver at least 500 Arabic books by the end of 2011, officials said.

Bookshare is an initiative of Benetech, a high-tech non-profit social entrepreneurial venture.