Visitors at the event organised by Al Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired with the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) to mark White Cane Safety Day.
Al Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired has partnered with the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) to organise a variety of activities that took place on White Cane Safety Day – celebrated in the United States and around the world to recognise the achievements of blind and visually impaired people.
First signed in to law in the United States in 1964, the date is set aside to mark an important symbol of blindness and a tool of independence – the white cane. Over 100 children and teachers from Al Noor Institute visited MIA yesterday to take part in a morning of specially organised activities. They were given tour of the museum by expert guides, enjoyed a story-telling session in the museum’s library – the largest of its kind in the region – and participated in an art workshop.
The resulting work produced by the students during the workshop will feature in a temporary exhibition to take place at the museum, and which is designed to give members of the local community an overview of Al Noor Institute and its activities.
Two 15-minute tours were organised by staff from Al Noor Institute designed to enable members of the public to experience a tour of the museum much as a visually impaired or blind person would, and to provide an awareness of how visually impaired and blind people encounter the world around them.
This year marks the first time that MIA has partnered with Al Noor Institute, Qatar’s leading centre catering to visually impaired people over the age of three. There are more than 400 children at Al Noor Institute from preschool through sixth grade which caters to children of a wide variety of ages and educational needs.
The activities at MIA to celebrate White Cane Safety day reflect the continuous efforts of the museum’s education team to engage all members of the public and provide a wide range of learning opportunities to the broadest cross-section of the local community.
Describing the partnership with Al Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired, Salem Abdullah Al Marri, Deputy Director of Learning and Outreach at MIA said: ‘’We’re a proud partner and supporter of White Cane Day and delighted to work closely with our colleagues at Al Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired to mark the occasion. We strongly believe that this world-leading museum and its collections deserve to be shared as widely as possible with people of all backgrounds and circumstances, and we continuously engage in activities designed to celebrate the accomplishments and influence of Islamic Cultures and civilisations with the widest possible audiences. We hope these activities build further appreciation and awareness for the incredible work that the institute does in supporting blind and visually impaired students.’’
