To integrate blinds in the society.
The Lebanese Institution for the Blind (L. I. B) is a non-profit organization, rehabilitating and caring for blinds. It carries out pure humanitarian activity, and do not engage political activities.
Established on the year 1986 by Dr. Issa El-Maalouf, blind himself. Licensed by the Lebanese State on the year 1987 under notification number 146/A.D.
Vision Beyond Sight:
Nurturing Holistic Growth for the Blind Community
“To realize the value of your eyesight, just close your eyes for a moment”
By such introductory sentence, I am not presenting an unconvincing claim that losing one’s eyesight is a blessing neither am I considering it a tribulation to thank God for, since one ought to thank God in all cases.
I became blind not early during my life as a result of a severe accident. Now, you can imagine how harsh my suffering was at that sudden and cruel shift from light to darkness, being incapable of reading, writing and recognizing people. Imagine how I could then eat, drink or accomplish any of the daily life principal tasks.
However, amid this darkness, my late parents had been a fountain of love and compassion. They were to me like two skilled psychiatrists. They taught me that God’s gifts and blessings to humans are unceasing. Before they departed from this life, they showed me that my tribulation could be a way to behold His light. Then, they left me with a strong mind believing that a blind person can be, not only independent but, participating as well in developing his/her community.
Since that accident in 1970, till 1985, I kept rehabilitating myself to be able then to offer the blind what my parents had done for me,, and to be worthy of being called “Father issa” as (by) my blind fellows and children at the “Lebanese Institution for the Blind” which I founded in 1986.
I began rehabilitating myself at the first stage of development in my society, when I realized that technology prevailed in our life to the extent that the world has become a small village. I also realized that technology can facilitate a lot of things for the handicapped in general and for the blind in particular.
Of course one of the most technological achievements during the 20th century is the computer, from which I benefited a lot. In 1988, I could Arabize the electronic line reader, a screen that a blind person can read by touch. Then, I trained many blind persons, first in Lebanon, then to other Arab countries. Finally, we published “Al-Basseer” economic and cultural magazine. The blind fellows in the Lebanese Institution for the Blind wrote their own copies on the computer, while other paralyzed fellows made the design with the help of the sighted fellows, so that Al-Basseer Magazine was published in an audio format, in addition to a Braille version and another one-hundred-page colored version for the sighted.
Today, as I read with my fingers what has been written in the press about Al-Basseer Magazine, I feel so sad, since this pioneering experience of publishing Al-Basseer Magazine stopped after eight months due to a financial “disability”, which was to me another sorrowful event.
To sum up, we trust that God will provide for our needs.
L.I. B staff are primary blind persons: There are blind female receptionist, another blind lady works on phone switch, while a blind man directs transport vehicles. Blind persons also teach one another. Finally, our Board of Directors is entirely composed of blind and visually impaired persons.
It is worth mentioning that the accounting of the institution and its files are all automated and computerized.
The Lebanese Institution for the Blind (L. I. B) is a non-profit organization, rehabilitating and caring for blinds. It carries out pure humanitarian activity, and do not engage political activities.
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