Books for the visually impaired

Any visitor to Sparsho Foundation will see visually impaired children reading braille books.

From Muhammad Zafar Iqbal's 'Doler Naam Black Dragon' to Mofidul Haque's 'Se Kon Rabindranath', the novels, rhymes and stories offer them a relief from their monotonous academic life.

Children's author Nazia Jabeen set up the Sparsho Foundation in 2008. The following year, the first braille book of the country was published from her Sparsho Braille Prokashona. It has so far published 68 titles. A total of 80 titles from Sparsho will be showcased in the upcoming Ekushey Book Fair next year. After the fair, books will be distributed for free among the visually impaired.

In 2016, Bangla Academy published its first braille book in cooperation with Sparsho which was launched by prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Since 2017, braille books are being delivered to various universities of the country, including Dhaka University. They are also being sent abroad for children who can read Bangla or English. A separate braille book corner has been set up at Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Baptist Mission Integrated School.

Najia Jabeen. Photo: Sabina Yesmin
Najia Jabeen. Photo: Sabina Yesmin

"I had published a book for the children. During the launching ceremony, a number of visually impaired people, touched the cover of the books, turned their pages and left them as they could not read them," Nazia said on her beginning the initiative.

"But they were no less enthusiastic than others.”

The accident of her husband Syed Farhat Anwar who sustained severe injuries in a road accident in 1990 really moved her as well.

After 15 years, Farhat could barely see anything, but he has been cured after a surgery abroad. He is successfully carrying out his duty as the director of IBA (Institute of Business Administration) at Dhaka University.

Nazia says her braille publication is progressing in cooperation of her family, friends and relatives including her husband and daughter. Standard Chartered Bank has joined their venture in 2018. Nazia has so far been awarded with 'Ananya Shirsha Dosh' and other accolades in recognition of her contribution.

*This piece, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten here in English by Nusrat Nowrin.