MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City Public Library is turning a new page in inclusivity, offering books specially designed for visually impaired children.
On Thursday, November 28, the city library launched 19 Braille books in partnership with the National Library of the Philippines. These books go beyond simple translations of original texts — they also provide detailed descriptions of visual elements within the stories.
For Julia, a high school student with a visual impairment, these books sparked her imagination.
“Habang binabasa ko po siya kanina, na-imagine ko po na para akong nagta-travel, ‘yung ako lang po. Tapos, para akong nagda-drive,” Julia said. (While I was reading it earlier, I imagined that I was traveling alone, as if I were driving.)
She read What Kids Should Know About Quezon City, a book that highlights key events, notable personalities, significant places, and interesting stories about the city.
Grade 8 student Riza Reyes from Quirino High School expressed how the books motivated her to excel in her studies.
“Habang binabasa ko po ‘yung Braille book, naisip ko po na mas lalo po [akong] na-inspire na gawin ‘yung best ko sa pag-aaral kasi may mga tao na sinusuportahan ang mga tulad naming visually impaired na magkaroon ng mas maraming kaalaman,” Reyes said.
(While I was reading the Braille book, I thought to myself that I was even more inspired to do my best in studying because there are people supporting those like us, the visually impaired, in gaining more knowledge.)
Josephine Miranda, a public school district supervisor in Quezon City, emphasized that reading should not be limited to sighted children.
“Ang reading ability ay hindi lamang para sa mga nakakakita na bata. Ito ay para rin po sa mga batang hindi nakakakita na dapat ay magkaroon ng kakayahang magbasa at umunawa,” Miranda said.
(Reading ability is not only for children who can see. It is also for children who are blind, who should have the ability to read and understand.)
National Library of the Philippines chief librarian Dolores Dolado-Carungui highligted that the accessibility of learning materials for persons with disability is a problem not just in the Philippines but in the Asia-Pacific region as well.
“That’s why our production of Braille materials is becoming patchy. The resources for the blind, the Department of Education, and the National Library of the Philippines are working on it, but it’s still not enough,” Carungui said.
Some of the available Braille book titles in the library include Ang Alaga Kong Lolo; Ang Batang Papet; Ang Nanay Kong Drayber; Duyan Pababa sa Bayan; Maanghang na Salita; Paalam, Puti; Sayaw ni Dayaw; Kaya ni Ninia; Sakto Lang; and Tinola ni Nanay.
These books came from various local publishing houses such as Adarna House and Lampara. – Rappler.com
