Al Rawi, a cultural café at Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah, recently launched a braille food menu, in collaboration with the Kalimat Foundation for Children’s Empowerment, and the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired. It is the first eatery in Sharjah to have a menu available that accommodated the needs of people who are blind or have a vision impairment.

By offering the menu, those involved in the process of its creation, seek to highlight the importance of establishing an egalitarian society based on the principle of social inclusion, where everyone irrespective of their physical abilities are empowered with equal access to a safe and comfortable life, and can enjoy public services and amenities equally.

During the launch ceremony of the braille menu, a panel discussion was held and included Adel Al Zumar, Director of Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired; Amna Al Mazimi, Manager of Kalimat Foundation for Children’s Empowerment; Zhora Qureshi, Director of Al Rawi Café; and Tamer Said; Managing Director of Kalimat Group. They also emphasised on increasing the popularity of promoting the ‘clock position’ as a relative indicator of direction or position of an object or a person described, using the analogy of a 12-hour clock, which is one of the most effective methods to help blind and visually impaired people identify a specific direction.

The workshop was attended by several children have low or no sight accompanied by their families, and Sharjah Girl Guides brownies, and addressed key international methods of helping and empowering differently abled people. It also discussed the paramount role of braille books in educating sight impaired children, and the increase in stature of this tactile writing system in view of the advancing technologies.

Adel Al Zumar said: “We welcome this pioneering project in Sharjah, which reflects the eagerness of A Rawi Café’s dedication to integrate blind and visually impaired people into the community, especially children, through this wonderful braille menu initiative. It is a big step forward in the UAE’s social movement that is aimed at making the local community equally accessible, inclusive, resourceful and enriching for differently abled people.”  

“Braille has seen exponential technological progress in recent years. Today, blind and visually impaired people can lead a more independent life, thanks to technologies that supports the use of Braille language system on smartphones, laptops, and other smart devices. We need to carry this momentum forward to benefit all,” he added.

For his part, Tamer Said, Managing Director of Kalimat Group, said: “We are the first publishing group to sign off the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. We have already furthered strong interest in developing braille-supported titles by collaborating with book experts, including authors, illustrators, publishers.

“We have collaborated to publish this Braille menu to encourage similar establishments in the emirate to offer specialised services for differently abled people. This wonderful initiative celebrates inclusivity and appreciation of diversity, and is something that must be adopted by everyone.”

Amna Al Mazimi noted: “A small, yet unique gesture like this can have a big positive impact on the lives of visually impaired persons. To be able to walk into a restaurant and order a meal without the assistance of one’s dining companions or staff may be something we take for granted, but can hugely impact their sense of freedom and increase self-confidence.”

She added: “Kalimat has published many Braille books for children, in both Arabic and English. We believe that visually challenged children have the right to access books and sources of knowledge. These publications, in addition to other Braille books, are on the offering at Al Rawi.”

For her part, Zhora Qureshi said: “Since we started serving our clients, Al Rawi Café has been keen to offer the UAE community a special combination of culture and entertainment in one place. Sharjah has been coined the cultural capital of the Arab world on several occasions, and this menu in Braille not only pays homage to this recognition but is a sincere gesture to make our customers comfortable and happy when they are at the café.”

The event concluded with a tasting contest in which participants were blindfolded to try the experience of eating food using their intuition.  

Al Rawi Café offers a unique combination of gastronomy and culture in the UAE. It is gaining popularity among coffee lovers and reading enthusiasts who love to mix the two in an idyllic environment.