The Technology for blind people started in America a long time ago, which makes blind people’s lives more independent. However, in the Middle East the technology for blind people started in the late nineties. One of the first companies that has been trying to make blind people’s lives easier and more independent was Nattiq Technologies. Nattiq Technologies was founded in the state of Colorado in 2001. Auda Hazeem, an Arab American, is the creator of this company. He had worked in the computer field for over 10 years before he started his company in 2002, after returning to the Middle East.
When Auda Hazeem was asked about the founding of his business, he stated, “In my previous business, I helped discriminating users build powerful lap top computers. One day a blind person asked for a custom-built laptop” (Hazeem, personal email). He continued, “ As I started to help him obtain a powerful laptop, I was intrigued by how he could use standard laptops knowing that he was blind. I made a decision, on that day, to launch a business to help blind Arabic-speaking individuals access information technology. The challenges were numerous” (Hazeem personal email).
After experiencing firsthand how expensive adaptive technology is, I acknowledge this constraint because blind people in the Middle East are very poor. Additionally, government help is virtually non-existent, and ignorance is widespread. Hazeem echoes these statements, saying “Many more challenges existed, some of which continue to exist. I was able to overcome such challenges with patience, high work ethics and the love to make a difference. Many people helped me. My team at Nattiq, our champions in the field and many friends,” (personal email).
According to its website, the company is located in the United Arab Emirates, in a city called Alsharja. The company depends on their advanced users to work for them as dealers in other countries in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman (www.nattiq.com). Nattiq provides their customers with up to date tools, devices, and software to make blind people’s lives more independent. To meet the varied needs of blind people, software solutions, such as DAISY book makers, DAISY book players, and screen magnifiers, are offered. Other hardware options include Braille displays and note-takers, Braille embossers, reading machines as well as many other tools and accessories. Nattiq chooses to select leading solutions from companies who are open to localizing their products into Arabic. For example, Nattiq imports its products from different companies around the world, then adds the Arabic language to make it ready for Arab users. However, there are some challenges that the company faces in localization because Arabic development is extremely slow; western companies' knowledge in the Arabic language continues to lag behind.
Despite the challenges facing blind people in the Middle East, Hazeem thinks that he has reached most of his goals from the founding of the company. When he started the company his goal was to make a difference in the lives of blind people in the Middle East by enhancing their privacy and independence in accessing information and telecommunication technologies (Hazeem, personal email). They have been able to localize, into Arabic, leading Adaptive Technology software and devices.
Nattiq achieved their goals by realizing the differences they have made in the lives of thousands of blind individuals in the Middle East. Nattiq’s mission will continue as new Adaptive Technologies are invented; as stated earlier, their goal is to localize them into Arabic for the benefit of the customers. According to the website, Nattiq has served about 3000 customers. To support his claim that he has made a difference in the lives of blind people, he continues, “I have received a lot of feedback from the field. We, of course, could meet some expectations while we continue working on meeting the rest. Our business routines and practices continue to evolve based on the feedback we receive from the field.”
In conclusion, Nattiq will continue providing their customers with the devices, tools, and software to make their lives independent. Hazeem will continue to overcome the problems and the challenges until he reaches his goals. Therefore, the customers should support him and his coworkers to make blind people lives more independent.
References
Accessed on 18 April 2010.
Hazeem, Auda. (19 April 2010). Personal email to Noah Al Hadidi.
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