KUALA LUMPUR — The National Library of Malaysia (PNM) has produced 85 Braille titles and 103 audiobooks to improve access to reading materials for persons with disabilities (OKU), particularly those with visual impairments.
PNM director-general Edy Irwan Zulkafli said the initiative was undertaken in line with the Marrakesh Treaty, under which PNM serves as an authorised entity, and supported by strategic partners, including the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB), the Malaysian Islamic Association for the Visually Impaired (PERTIS) and St Nicholas Home for the Blind.
He said the initiative was supported by the Copyright Act 2022 amendments and the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 (Act 685), while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities.
PNM highlighted these efforts at the closing ceremony of its 2026 Day with Persons with Disabilities programme, held at its Anjung Bestari exhibition space on Thursday.
The annual programme featured a series of activities launched in stages from August, including the “Stories Behind Reading” narrative video competition, the “Suara Inklusif Cilik MADANI” poetry recitation competition and the “Suara Inklusif Generasi MADANI” syair recitation competition.
The closing event also featured the “Sembang Inklusif” podcast with Masitah Mohd Affendy, popularly known as Mashy, who was specially invited from Johor Bahru to inspire the community.
Other activities included an exhibition of assistive technology products, a PNM volunteer booth for voice contributions and reflexology therapy services provided by members of the visually impaired community.
“Personal limitations are not the end of a dream. At PNM, we do not merely provide books; we build bridges to broaden minds without boundaries. When technology is combined with empathy, there is no gap in ability that we cannot bridge,” Edy Irwan said.
PNM said the programme underscored that access to knowledge and information is a right for everyone, supporting the Malaysia MADANI vision of building an inclusive, caring and prosperous society.
