UTM HAS PRODUCED MORE THAN 500 BRAILLE BOOKS FOR THE BLIND

JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has produced more than 500 copies of braille books to expand access to knowledge for the visually impaired (OKU) since 1998.

UTM Library Chief Librarian Nor Asikin Mohamad said all the copies produced by the university through the Braille-Baca Celik Hati(mind literacy) Transliteration Project have been distributed to schools in Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

"This project is one of UTM's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to the community and so far we have produced more than 500 braille books covering various scientific topics.

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"Recently, we have received many requests to produce braille books involving Islamic religious education and Jawi books for years 4, 5 and 6," she said at a press conference in conjunction with the 'National Literary Culture Stage: Datuk Dr Siti Zainon Ismail-The Beauty of Polite Manners and Turbulence of  (Gelora) Teluk Belanga' and the launch of Audio Braille Books at UTM here today.

Also present was UTM deputy vice chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Rosli Md Illias.

Nor Asikin said that in addition to producing braille books, UTM is also actively producing a copy of the audio braille book entitled 'Read' for the visually impaired, thus enabling the disabled to learn and gain knowledge by listening.

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"We will produce more braille books covering various fields of knowledge for the benefit of the visually impaired in this country.

"The process of transliteration is not only costly but also time-consuming to produce. The duration taken goes according to the original book which can be completed within a day or take several months," she said.

Meanwhile, Siti Zainon praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for using many classic Malay words in his speeches.

"(His oratory is) Very good and this proves that he reads a lot. Indirectly, the young children will know that the words used is Bahasa Melayu, not Bahasa Indonesia. For example the word 'meluncurkan' ('melancarkan' or 'launch'), that is archaic language … but it is our language," she said.

-- BERNAMA