Expand Opportunities For Visually Impaired Persons In Creative Industry – Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said opportunities for visually impaired persons in the creative industry should be expanded to enable them to showcase their talents while earning a sustainable livelihood.

Fahmi, who earlier attended an engagement session with visually impaired creative industry players organised with the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB), said many persons with disabilities (PwDs), including those with visual impairments, possess talents that can be further developed and highlighted.

He said the Communications Ministry will examine the potential among visually impaired talents in areas such as music, emceeing and broadcasting through agencies including the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) for film and animation, as well as funding, support and specialised programmes for musicians via MyCreative Ventures.

“I see a lot of talent that we can harness. For example, today’s emcee, Noor Izati Meor Samsudin, demonstrated strong capability by reading scripts using a digital Braille device, and I would like to invite her to become a television news reader.

“This shows that visually impaired persons are capable of excelling as emcees, news presenters and musicians if given the opportunity,” he told reporters after the session at the MAB here today.

Fahmi said support could also be extended to visually impaired musicians through the ministry or agencies such as the Information Department’s Pentarama unit, noting that the ministry already has policies in place to employ PwDs.

He said he would discuss potential opportunities for the group with the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said he would bring 34 proposals and issues contained in a memorandum submitted by MAB today to the attention of the ministry and relevant agencies to enhance accessibility and inclusivity, particularly for visually impaired persons.

These include facilitating permits and approvals for visually impaired musicians to engage in street performances (busking), karaoke and singing activities, improving disability-friendly facilities under the jurisdiction of local authorities, as well as funding applications and financing.

He said another key issue raised was the lack of accessibility of applications and websites of financial institutions and government agencies for visually impaired users within the country’s digital ecosystem.

“More than 200 government applications have been developed, but the question is how many are truly accessible to the visually impaired? I will raise this matter with the National Digital Department (JDN) and the relevant ministries,” he said.

Fahmi also highlighted concerns over the lack of audio features on automated teller machines (ATMs), describing it as a basic but significant oversight.

He said the issue had been raised with the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and would be extended to the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Association of Islamic Banks Malaysia (AIBIM) for further consideration.

He also expressed hope that the media would adopt more inclusive practices, such as providing audio descriptions during television news broadcasts when displaying infographics.

Fahmi announced an allocation of RM30,000 to MAB to implement several programmes throughout the year and described his engagement with about 100 members of the visually impaired community as a meaningful experience.

-- BERNAMA