The Blind and the Inaccessible City: The Gap Between Ability and Equal Opportunity

Tabriz – Educational and urban barriers continue to make it difficult for blind people to access equal opportunities in education, employment and social participation, affecting their independence.

Ambassador Arjan of the Provinces Group; Helena Atai: Access to books and education, the possibility of employment and having a safe urban space are among the factors that can affect the life path of visually impaired people. Despite the progress of compensatory technologies and increased attention to the rights of people with disabilities, environmental and educational barriers are still present in parts of these people's lives; Obstacles that sometimes reduce the opportunity to learn, independence and social participation more than the vision limitation itself.

In East Azarbaijan, the central library of Tabriz tries to reduce some of these obstacles with the activity of its blind section. Providing Braille and Goya books, helping to access resources for employment tests, providing customized intellectual games and paying attention to new technologies are part of the activities that this group pursues in empowering people with visual impairments.

However, this library's experience shows that providing study resources, although necessary, alone is not sufficient to achieve equal participation in society. The quality of education in schools, the method of measuring students' abilities, the possibility of independent movement in the city and access to technologies that suit the needs of users are also important in this direction.

On the eve of the International White Cane Day, the review of the activities of the blind department of the Tabriz Central Library and the views of the officials of the exceptional education and training of East Azerbaijan provide a picture of the capacities and challenges faced by visually impaired people; Challenges that require the cooperation of cultural, educational and executive institutions to solve them.

book; A bridge to get out of isolation and increase social participation

In an interview with Mehr reporter, Ruhollah Sa'i, the head of the blind department of Tabriz Central Library, referring to the role of study resources in the lives of visually impaired people, believes that the activity of this department goes beyond lending books and can help to increase awareness, strengthen social connections and more active presence of these people in the society.

Sa'i stated: For many visitors, books are not just a means of reading, but a way to communicate with the world around them and access information that may be difficult to obtain under normal conditions.

Referring to the experience of the people who live in rural areas, he added: people from villages have come to this library who had less opportunity to participate in social activities due to their traditional views and the limitations of their living environment. For some of these people, the library has been the only way to connect with the wider world of information and knowledge.

The head of the blind department of Tabriz Central Library continued: Sending Braille and Goya books to these people provides access to information and increases awareness, and gives them the opportunity to play a more effective role in discussions and social activities.

This experience shows that access to information resources cannot be considered only as a cultural service; Because deprivation of information may also limit people's educational, occupational and social opportunities. From this point of view, special libraries for the blind, in addition to their cultural mission, also play a role in reducing the distance of access to knowledge and strengthening social participation.

Study support for the blind to enter the labor market

One of the areas of activity of the blind department of Tabriz Central Library is to help members who are preparing to participate in employment tests; A path where access to specialized resources and knowledge of recruitment processes is important.

Sa'i said: One of the most important supporting activities of this department in recent years has been providing the resources needed by candidates for recruitment exams. In addition to access to specialized resources, these people have also received guidance on how to participate in the exams.

He added: Providing the possibility of studying related resources and familiarizing with the exam process has helped a number of library members to use the 3% legal quota for hiring people with disabilities and get employment.

The importance of this issue is that having a legal quota alone is not enough to guarantee equal employment opportunity. Candidates should be able to study the test resources in a format that suits their conditions and in the evaluation process, it should be possible to measure their abilities without unnecessary obstacles.

Therefore, supporting the employment of blind people requires a set of coordinated measures; From making resources available and informing about employment opportunities to adapting tests and providing a usable work environment. The experience of the central library of Tabriz shows that study services can pave a part of this path, but the realization of sustainable employment also requires the cooperation of educational, employment and executive institutions.

The book in the most difficult conditions; A story of resilience

In another narration, Sa'i mentioned the experience of a lady in Esco who, despite being blind, deaf and suffering from leukemia, kept her connection with Braille books.

According to him, this lady used to study three bags of Braille books in 10-day periods, and her family members considered her the most lively person in the house.

This narrative, from the point of view of the head of the blind section of Tabriz Central Library, shows that reading can provide a basis for maintaining a person's connection with the surrounding world and strengthening his spirit even in difficult life conditions.

The importance of such an experience should be sought in the complementary role of cultural activities in the quality of life of people with disabilities. Access to books, the opportunity to learn and the possibility of pursuing personal interests can help maintain individual independence and strengthen the sense of participation in life.

intellectual games; Practice equality from childhood

The activities of the blind department of Tabriz Central Library are not limited to study resources and part of its facilities are designed to teach cognitive skills and strengthen the interaction of visually impaired children and teenagers.

Referring to the importance of knowing the environment for congenitally blind children, Sa'i stated: These children acquire an important part of their knowledge of the environment through touch and hearing; For this reason, in addition to entertainment, customized mental games can help strengthen spatial understanding, recognize the location of objects, and increase the ability to interact with others.

Referring to games like Mench and Marupele, he explained: In these games, customized boards and pieces are used, including pieces with bases, so that the blind child can recognize the position of the pieces and participate in the game.

According to him, when a blind child is able to play with his sighted peers, in addition to practicing cognitive and motor skills, he also gains an experience of equal participation.

Providing shared opportunities for play, learning and group activities from childhood can help increase self-confidence and reduce the feeling of separation from society. In this direction, the adaptation of educational and entertainment tools should be considered as part of the inclusive process; Because being in a common environment leads to real participation when a person can play an effective role in its activities.

accessibility; From the library area to the blind section

The central library of Tabriz has been adapted with the aim of facilitating the movement of people with disabilities and the blind. In this complex, from the outer area to the section for the blind, signs and special guide paths have been installed so that visitors can more easily identify their path and reach the desired section.

These measures focus on the accessibility of cultural spaces and providing easier use of library services for people with disabilities. Predicting guide signs in different parts of the route is a step towards facilitating transportation and strengthening the independence of the blind in using the cultural capacities of Tabriz Central Library.

Artificial intelligence next to Braille; Technology in the service of independence

The development of new technologies, from screen readers and hearing aids to artificial intelligence-based tools, has created new opportunities for blind people to access information. However, Sa'i believes that the use of these technologies should not lead to the abandonment of Braille.

About the future perspective of this field, he said: the optimal approach is to combine new technologies with Braille. AI should help develop and facilitate the use of Braille, not replace it completely; Because Braille allows blind people, in addition to reading tools, to write and have independent written literacy.

The head of the blind section of Tabriz Central Library emphasized: planning for the future should include the needs of different age groups; From children and teenagers to the elderly and blind women who may need appropriate tools and training to perform daily tasks and household activities.

Emphasizing the necessity of the presence of blind people in the policy-making process, Saee added: the design of services and technologies needed by this group should be done with the participation of experts who have experienced the real needs of blind people in educational, cultural, occupational and social environments.

This view emphasizes an important principle; Technology leads to increased independence when it is designed to meet the needs of users. Therefore, the development of intelligent services in libraries should be pursued while maintaining access to Braille, audio and other usable formats, and the selection of appropriate tools should be made based on the needs of each individual.

educational justice; The necessity of measuring the ability of students, not the level of vision

Along with access to books and cultural services, formal education is one of the most important areas in which the quality of adaptation can affect the future of visually impaired people. In order to have equal opportunities, blind and partially sighted students need accessible educational content, a safe learning environment, and assessment tools appropriate to their conditions.

Fariba Sardarpour, head of exceptional education and training of East Azerbaijan, in a conversation with Mehr reporter, referring to the challenges in measuring the academic progress of these students, said: continuous evaluation, final exams and coordinated tests are implemented in the educational system, but some of the common assessment tools are not yet adapted for the use of visually impaired students.

He added: In such a situation, some tests depend on the student's vision skills instead of just evaluating the mental ability, the amount of learning or the student's knowledge. An issue that can affect the validity and fairness of the results.