The Malaysian Foundation for the Blind (MFB) and the Muslim Youth Movement Malaysia (Abim) launched a fundraising campaign to print and distribute history books in braille for students who are blind or have low vision.
Abim vice-president Zairudin Hashim said the campaign’s initial target is RM100,000, which will produce and distribute the textbooks.
“Most of the books cost around RM90. They are quite expensive and usually only last one or two months as they can easily get damaged and need replacement,” said Hashim.
“If more than RM100,000 is raised, Abim and MFB can use the extra funds to conduct an advocating for the rights of people with vision disabilities.” said Hashim
“We tend to see persons with disabilities as people we need to give money to, but actually, there are many who contribute to our society, so we need to understand they have the potential to give to the country.”
“As fellow Malaysians, we need to make sure we don’t forget them.” MFB founder Silatul Rahim Dahman said this initiative was important for students who are blind or have low vision.
“If their needs are not met, they are going to face a lot of difficulties in their studies,” he said.
Silatul also wants to produce and distribute “books of the general order” so that people with vision disabilities can learn about their rights.
The braille books will initially be produced in Malay, but they hope to produce texts in other languages in the future.
