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Blind people say reading needs overlooked

More books in Braille wanted, say sufferers
Blind people say reading needs overlooked
A blind woman reading Braille book at the fair
Published: March 01, 2012 06:15 AM GMT
Updated: March 01, 2012 06:15 AM GMT

As the country’s largest book fair enters its final week, blind people are claiming that their needs are being ignored by publishers. Around 2,000 titles have been promoted at the month-long fair at Dhaka’s Bangla Academy, but only a tiny fraction are available in Braille. Yet given the number of blind and partially sighted people in Bangladesh – estimated at more than 800,000 in a 2010 survey – there is clearly a market and demand for Braille publications. “We are being deprived of the entertainment and knowledge that literature brings, because there are so few books for us,” said Janatul Naeem, 21, a blind graduate student. Abid Hossain, another blind student who is taking a master’s degree at Dhaka University, suggested: “if publishers bring out at least one Braille book each, we would benefit enormously.” Just one publishing house, Sporsho Braille Corner, has dedicated itself to serving blind people, producing books exclusively in Braille since 2009. “We have published 14 titles so far,” said Nazia Jabin, the founder and head of the firm. “Everyone who can read should get equal attention. Apart from making profits, publishers should do some charitable acts for those people who need help,” she added. “In many countries there are legal obligations to publish books in Braille and audio versions, but no such rules exist here. “If there were more Braille presses here, it would also create employment for blind people.” One publisher who has just entered the field is Abasar Prokashani, with a Braille version of Botol Bhut (The Bottle Ghost), a popular children’s work. “This was the first time we got a proposal to bring out a Braille book,” said a spokesman for the publisher. He added that, in his opinion, “the price of printing materials and paper is on the rise, so publishers hesitate to publish Braille books for fear of making a loss.” Sajeeb Saha is general manager of Muktodhara, the publishing house that originally started the annual event. “This is an important issue,” he told ucanews.com. “Nobody has ever come to us with a proposal to produce a Braille version, but we will certainly consider it if anyone does.” “One reason why there are few initiatives for Braille books is possibly because there aren’t many people with the necessary expertise,” he added. Muktodhara started the event in 1972 as a tribute to the martyrs of the Bangla Language Movement who were killed during the country’s early struggles for autonomy in the 1950s. Taken over by Bangla Academy  in 1978, it is now the biggest book fair in the country. Related Reports: More Bangladeshi Christian writers needed  

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