UAE laws to be made available in Braille

A legal organisation says it wants to begin printing laws in Braille as an outreach to the blind community.

ABU DHABI // The UAE's Constitution and laws are to be translated into Braille for the first time.

The Jurists Association said yesterday its members had decided on the move at their last meeting.

Zayed al Shamsi, the association's chief executive, said details such as the printing date would be discussed at a meeting on Sunday with Tamkeen, the non-profit organisation set up by the Ruler of Dubai.

The news was welcomed by Hasham al Wahidi, a 25-year-old editor at the Blinds Printing Press, who lost his sight when he was 14. "It should have been there from before," he said. "It will be useful for the blind, because the blind need to know the laws, whether they are those of the country or public or private laws.

"I've always been particularly interested in knowing the police and traffic laws and speed."

He said some regulations were already printed in Braille, such as the rules and conditions surrounding Haj, but said more needed to be made available.

"I would also like to see laws of contracts and trade transactions in Braille. These should have been there from a long time, and social contracts as well," he said.

Mr al Shamsi said the Jurists Association hoped the decision would build bridges with members of the public.

"The goal is to spread a law culture and education. We can also translate it into different languages and sell it to other countries. But the priority is to educate and not to sell," he said.