Dubai: A total of 26 employees from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) volunteered to make audiobooks for the people of determination.
The move, which was part of an RTA initiative to support this segment in society, saw the audiobooks recorded in CDs and gifted to the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired in Sharjah.
The RTA has reaffirmed its commitment to lend every possible support to the people of determination in keeping with the government directives and said the initiative aims to spread the culture of reading and integrate people of determination in the knowledge drive running across the community segments.
“The RTA has finalised the conversion of several books to audiobooks thanks to a bunch of 26 volunteer employees who have made audio recordings of those books and saved them in CDs,” said Yousuf Jawad Al Reda, CEO of RTA’s Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector.
“Relevant centres and societies of people of determination have been notified to make use of this achievement in enriching the culture of their affiliates,” he added.
Al Reda said the books have been selected according to certain criteria such as relaying positive concepts, building self-confidence, enhancing determination to cope with life’s challenges, enriching imagination and boosting ethical values.
“We have got plans to engage the people in supporting this initiative through self-service machines (Smart Kiosk) in Customer Happiness Centres,” he said.
Adel Al Zamar, chairman of Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired in Sharjah, praised RTA’s valuable initiative in supporting the people of determination. He expressed hope to see other government bodies follow suit in recording whatever possible audiobooks for visually impaired individuals.
“We are happy with the books contributed through the Audio Kiosk initiative rolled out by RTA as part of its Read More initiative. The RTA’s employees have done a great job in recording these books and supplying them to the library of the association,” he said, noting that the audio library has a serious shortage in the number of recorded materials, and that the association is working on recording audiobooks for members and affiliates.
“For this reason, it had established a recording studio with limited resources on its premises run with the assistance of impaired individuals themselves. Thanks for the RTA and volunteering staff who took part in recording those books,” added Al Zamar.
