Zain Al-Din Al-Amidi: Inventor of the Method of Reading for the Blind
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Muslim scholars realized the importance of reading skills for people with special needs, especially for those who have lost their sight. Therefore, this qualitative study examined the role of the Arab Muslim optician al-Amadi in inventing the science of reading for the blind and his impact on optics and modern science, and studied the similarities and differences between the Amidi and Braille methods in teaching the blind how to read. This study relies on collecting data from the literature review and scientific resources. The data was analyzed using the Braun and Clarck Thematic Approach (2006). The findings of the study are that Al-Amidi was credited with inventing a special method for the raised letters that helped the blind read; and the inventor of the raised letters to teach reading to the blind was Zain al-Din al-Amidi, not Braille. The study recommends the need to highlight the positive portrayals of Muslim and Arab scholars and their impact on the development of modern science and to enrich the curricula with topics related to Arab and Muslim scholars.
Metrics
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
The Holy Quran
Al-Zirkli, Khair al-Din. (2002). Notable People: A biographical dictionary of the most famous Arab, Arab, and Orientalist men and women. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al-Ilm Lil-Malayin Beirut.
Shair, Ibrahim Muhammad, (2009) Teaching the Visually Impaired, 1st edition, Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi.
Al-Safadi, Salah al-Din Khalil bin Aybak (764 AH - 1363 AD) (1911): Nakhat al-Humyan fi Joke of the Blind, Cairo, Egypt: Al-Gamaleya Press.
Al-Hadidi, Mona Sobhi. (1998), Introduction to Visual Impairment, 1st edition, Amman, Jordan: Dar Al-Fikr for Printing, Publishing and Distribution.
Jabour, Aida Mufleh (2001). Arab and Muslim scholars. Amman, Jordan: Dar Al Khaleej for Publishing and Distribution.
Jiyad, Abdul Redha Hussein and Mashali, Ali Abdul. (2015). Blind scholars and their effects on the Arab-Islamic heritage (140 AH-712: a historical study. Journal of the College of Basic Education. 21 (87), 365-400.
Ashour, Saeed Abdel Fattah. (2015). History of Europe in the Middle Ages. Beirut, Lebanon: Arab Renaissance Department
Al-Ukaili, Ali Abd Mashali. (2020). Dictionary of blind Arab Muslim scholars (1 - 1440 AH = 622 - 2018 AD). Damascus: Syria: Tammuz House for Printing, Publishing and Distribution
Al-Asqalani, Ibn Hajar. (1932). The pearls hidden in the notables of the eighth century. Cairo, Egypt: The Ottoman Encyclopedia
Al-Mugrah, Suad Abu Bakr Muhammad. (2009). Integrating people with visual impairment into educational achievement. Al-Fateh University Publications, Libya.
English references
Argyropoulos, V., Sideridis, G., Nikolaraizi, M., Martos, A., Padeliadu, S., Gkyrtis, K., & Koutsogiorgou, S. M. (2020). Refreshable braille displays and reading fluency: A pilot study in individuals with blindness. Education and Information Technologies, 25(5), 3613-3630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10126-2
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Campsie, P. (2021). Charles Barbier: A hidden story. Disability Studies Quarterly, 41(2)
D'Antuono, G. (2021). Historiographical heritages: Denis Diderot and the men of the French Revolution. Diciottesimo Secolo, 6, 161-168.
Davidson, M. W. (2010). Pioneers in optics: Giovanni Battista Amici and Girolamo Cardano. Microscopy Today, 18(3), 50-52.
Hirschmann, N. J. (2020). Diderot’s letter on the blind as disability political theory. Political Theory, 48(1), 84-108.
Lopez MASc, R. M. L., Pinder, Shane, D, & Davies, C (2019). Matuto, Magbasa, Maglaro: Learning to read braille through play. Assistive technology. The Official Journal of RESNA 5(33).