The ALECSO Forum for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons on the “Role of Technology in the Education of Persons with Visual Disabilities in the Arab States” kicked off on July 13, 2026, in Amman, Jordan. The Forum is organized by ALECSO in collaboration with the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and with the support of the Jordanian Ministry of Education. The three-day event brought together prominent experts and specialists from across the Arab region, participating both in-person and virtually.
The Forum was organized as part of ALECSO's efforts to promote inclusive education, foster the sharing of expertise among Arab countries, and harness technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and assistive technologies to empower persons with visual disabilities to access quality, inclusive education, and to build learning environments that are more responsive to their needs.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Rami Iskander, Director of Education and representative of ALECSO, conveyed the greetings of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, to all participants and his wishes for the success of the Forum. He commended the efforts invested by Jordan and the Jordanian National Commission to support inclusive education and strengthening Arab cooperation in this field.
Dr. Iskander emphasized that the Forum reflects ALECSO's vision of making the issues of persons with disabilities an integral part of the development of education in the Arab world. He noted that technology has become a strategic pillar for achieving educational equity and expanding access to knowledge, while assistive technologies, digital resources, and artificial intelligence are opening new prospects for enhancing the autonomy of learners with visual disabilities and improving their learning outcomes. He reaffirmed ALECSO’s continued commitment to supporting Arab countries in developing educational policies, strengthening their capacities, and promoting the exchange of expertise, thereby contributing to more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable education systems.
The first day of the Forum featured a series of presentations of Arab experiences. Dr. Faiza Al-Falahat reviewed the efforts of the Jordanian Ministry of Education in the field of inclusive education, while Dr. Walid Zidi, Education Expert at ALECSO, presented a paper on the use of assistive technologies to support persons with visual disabilities. Mr. Mabrouk Bouchoucha shared the Tunisian experience, and Dr. Nassim Noman of the German-Jordanian University presented leading initiatives for the integration of persons with visual disabilities in higher education.
Dr. Rami Iskander also commended the efforts of Mr. Osama Al-Habash, Project Coordinator at the Education Department and Coordinator of the Forum, as well as the team of the Jordanian National Commission. He stressed that their cooperation has significantly contributed to the successful organization of the event and reflected the spirit of partnership between ALECSO and Arab national institutions.
The second day of Forum featured presentations highlighting experiences from Syria, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, and Mauritania, with the aim of exchanging expertise, strengthening Arab cooperation in the use of technology to support persons with visual disabilities, and advancing more inclusive educational policies that respond to the needs of all learners.
