The Authority of People with Disability, in partnership with King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital, launched the Guideline of Families of People with Visual Impairment today. The guideline is considered the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and is considered a reference for all services provided to people with visual impairment in the Kingdom. The partnership between the Authority of People with Disability and King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital represents the achievement of one of the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 that focuses on enabling people with disabilities to obtain suitable job opportunities, education that guarantees their independence and inclusion in society, as well as providing them with tools and facilities that help them to be successful (e.g., the guideline). The guideline provides awareness and educational information about visual impairment and early intervention services. Moreover, a classification of educational, health and human services and how to access and obtain them. It also provides information about the most important electronic applications that support people with visual impairment and the services they provide as well as the most important websites that provide services and information concerned with people with visual impairment. The guideline focuses on supporting the psychological and moral aspects of people with visual impairment by presenting inspiring and motivating examples who have achieved success in various fields. The guideline will be provided in different formats that achieve the accessibility of content goals for people with visual impairment, such as Braille, audio, and e-book formats that are compatible with screen reader applications.

Signing a memorandum between the Authority of People with Disability and King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital.

During the launching stage, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the CEO of the Authority of People with Disability, Dr. Hisham AlHaidary and the CEO of King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Dr. Abdulaziz AlRajhi. The memorandum aims to coordinate the services provided to all people with visual impairment and to benefit from the research and studies provided. Dr. Hisham AlHaidary explained that signing the agreement is part of the APD’s strategy towards raising the level of services quality provided to all people with disabilities. He also stated that signing the agreement will contribute to raising the level of performance and services provided, as the hospital’s efforts are pioneering in terms of activities and programs that have contributed to raising the level of health awareness, fighting blindness in Saudi Arabia, as well as supporting and rehabilitating the visually impaired. Moreover, Dr. Hisham indicated that the APD is currently working on issuing a number of guidelines that contribute to raising the quality level of services provided to all people with disabilities such as the Guideline of Families of People with Visual Impairment which is important and will be a basic reference for the families and those who are interested. He also expressed his appreciation for the participation of the National Association of the Blind in Riyadh (Kafeef) and Roya Association in Madinah for their efforts in reviewing and printing the guidelines in Braille. It is stated that the Authority of People with Disability has previously launched a number of guidelines, including the Disability Disclosure Ethics Guideline and the Simplified Accessibility Guideline.