Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

For the first time in the Arab world, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) is organising, from 14 October to 11 November 2020; a workshop specialised in preparing “easy read” documents.

The workshop will be headed by Martin Dobson, Director and Founder of Easy Read Online Limited from the United Kingdom. He has been working with people with learning disabilities for 25 years to enable them understand complex information and simplify learning resources.

Dobson has confirmed that easy read is a method of writing using pictures and simple language to help people with intellectual disabilities read important documents, information and instructions, and simplify complex information.

He believes that easy read is important because persons with intellectual disabilities have the right to access information sources and obtain knowledge in an accessible and appropriate manner in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The bodies and authorities which need simplified reading documents are governmental institutions, service departments for beneficiaries with intellectual disabilities, the committees supervising public events, emergency, first aid and crisis management committees, electoral committees, and libraries, educational and cultural institutions.

Dobson has pointed out that the workshop targets workers in publishing houses, painters, designers, and art colleges’ students, writers, text editors, librarians, and special education specialists and those working with persons with intellectual disabilities.

He said, “It is very necessary for those wishing to add the workshop to their CV successfully and competently to have the desire to learn easy read preparation skills and support content directed to people with intellectual disabilities. They should have knowledge of Arabic language and / or design rules, accomplishing a graduation project by simplifying a subject at the end of training, and help in preparing Arabic standards for easy read.”

To conclude, Dobson has indicated that training will be hypothetically dependent on asynchronous education, with five virtual discussion sessions, at the rate of one session per week. There will be practical application and tasks for the trainee to perform.

According to a recent report, Sharjah Charity International, SCI, has revealed that 90 per cent of its donations were made through the applicable electronic channels, which include its website, smart link, SMS, and bank online transfers.