Braille Specialist (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra)

Since the establishment of the union of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, education has received the utmost attention of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on him, and his founding brothers. They believed that education was the cornerstone of building an enabled community that could keep pace with the advancements. Over the past decades, the wise leadership of the country was keen on building an educational system that matched its counterparts in the advanced nations. It harnessed for this purpose all the required capabilities, to achieve the country's agenda and national vision in this regard. Sincere efforts have also been made to develop education and adopt the best systems that achieve high-quality education outputs, to achieve the future visions and aspirations of the wise leadership.

Since investing in human capital is the main objective, the UAE has been keen on establishing the Ministry of Education and creating the appropriate environment to build pioneering Emirati schools, in terms of standards, form, and content they provide. It also made sure that such schools provided high-quality educational environment and owned the most technically advanced tools to be able to graduate generations that could pursue their university education confidently in higher education institutions to fulfil the requirements of labour market. 

The MOE has also provided a smart learning system and high-quality digital platforms, side by side with the continuous development of school curriculums, according to national learning standards, assessment policy that is based on assessing for learning, and highest quality standards that match the best international practices. Various learning tracks, moreover, have been provided to support the capabilities and skills of students and achieve the country's strategy of encouraging the culture of creativity and innovation through providing the students with the skills of the 21st century and motivating them to have new ideas that relate to the reality they live in and foresee the future. This will eventually help in finding radical, sustainable solutions to the major issues, improving competitiveness, and supporting smart government in its attempts to keep pace with global advancements, advance education, and push it to broad horizons of excellence, leadership, and competitiveness.

A specialist in the education and support of blind and visually impaired individuals, specializing in the use of the Braille system for reading and writing, and converting educational content and written information into formats suitable for visually impaired students.
A Braille specialist contributes to ensuring that blind or visually impaired students have independent and equitable access to curricula and educational resources by preparing educational materials in Braille and training students in its use.

Main Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Teaching students Braille reading and writing skills.
• Preparing and converting educational materials into Braille.
• Reviewing Braille materials and ensuring their accuracy.
• Assisting students in using Braille-related assistive technologies.
• Adapting activities and educational materials to meet the student's visual needs.
• Collaborating with special education teachers, teachers, and visual impairment specialists.
• Monitoring the student's progress in Braille skills and identifying their training needs.
• Supporting the student's independence and enabling their access to information and educational content.
• Teaching blind students independent mobility skills.
• Training students to use a white cane.
• Teaching blind students how to navigate the school environment.
• Promoting independence and self-confidence during mobility. 
  

Employment Requirements for Emirati and Non-Emirati Citizens:

Skills:
• Proficiency in reading and writing Braille quickly and accurately.
• Ability to convert texts and educational materials into Braille.
• Review and proofread Braille materials to ensure they are error-free.
• Ability to teach students Braille reading and writing skills.
• Knowledge of the mathematical and scientific symbols used in Braille, as required by the job.
• Proficiency in using Braille devices, printers, and supporting digital technologies.
• Ability to adapt educational materials to meet the needs of individual students
• Effective communication and collaboration skills with teachers and special education specialists.
• Patience, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Ability to assess students' Braille skills and monitor their progress.

Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Special Education, Visual Impairment, Education for the Blind, or a related field.
Master's degree in Special Education.
Diploma in Special Education.
In addition:
Certification or professional accreditation in Braille from a recognized institution.
Proficiency in Arabic Braille; proficiency in English Braille is preferred.
Familiarity with assistive technologies used with blind and visually impaired individuals.

Experience:
- At least 1 to 3 years of experience in the field of Braille or teaching students with visual impairments.
- Experience working in schools or special education centers.
- Experience using Braille printers and specialized software.
- Experience training students in the use of Braille and assistive technologies.
- Experience in preparing books, tests, and educational activities in Braille.
Age: Not exceeding 55 years.
- Proficiency in Arabic and English (reading, writing, and speaking).