Continuing its support for the blind community in Qatar, and under its expanding initiative Accessible Qatar, Sasol, the international integrated chemicals and energy company, announced the donation of a new braille printer to the Qatar Social and Cultural Center for Blind (QSCCB). The braille printer will replace an older model currently in use, to print documents free of charge for the community in Qatar.
The demand for Braille printing in Qatar has grown rapidly in recent years as the blind community invests in education and accessibility. The launch of a new hotel classification system by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has also significantly increased demand from restaurants, hotels, and other public venues for braille printing that will pave the way for a more accessible hospitality sector.
Faisal Al-Kooheji, Chairman of Qatar Social and Cultural Center for Blind said: “Qatar Social and Cultural Center for Blind is thankful for the ongoing support of Sasol. Having access to braille documents is particularly important to our community, and QSCCB is proud to be the center in Qatar providing braille production services free of charge. We are happy to see more organizations including braille in their venues and hope that this trend will continue, making Qatar accessible for all.”
Senior Vice President Thabiet Booley at Sasol said: “Everybody deserves the opportunity to read and to be an equal part of our community. Sasol is proud to further support accessibility in Qatar and broaden our Accessible Qatar initiative through the complimentary braille printing that the Qatar Social and Cultural Center for Blind offers. Hope that this small donation will have a big impact and makes a difference. In line with the National Vision 2030, Sasol is taking steps to empower the disabled community and inspire other organizations to do the same.”
The new Braille printer represents a qualitative leap in the production of Braille prints for the blind, especially in terms of production speed and efficiency. The embosser prints at a rate of 400 pages per hour with brilliant quality, and carries a feature to convert ordinary graphics to tactile graphics for the blind. The new printer provides many modern features such as enabling users to print directly from USB memory, connect to the WIFI, print directly from smartphone or iPad, and the addition of an Acoustic Hood provided by Sasol, which significantly reduces printing noise.
Sasol launched its partnership with QSCCB in 2016, when it introduced Accessible Qatar initiative. Sasol’s latest activities with Qatar Social and Cultural Center for Blind include a ‘Ball for All’ initiative with Save The Dream, an event which promotes inclusive football for the blind and visually impaired.