The award ceremony, which is in its 7th edition, was chaired by the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, Aawatif Hayar, and the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaïd.
This prize, organized annually as part of the SIEL activities by the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, aims to raise awareness among the various participants and organizers of this annual book fair of the need to take appropriate measures to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.
This initiative also aims to raise awareness among the various stakeholders in the field of publishing and books, on the occasion of this major annual cultural event, of the right of people with disabilities to access the various stands and dependencies of this space and to find out about new publications.
The Most Accessible Stand Award in the Institutional Exhibitors category was awarded to Mohammed V University in Rabat, while the Sochepress stand won the prize in the Private Publishers category.
On this occasion, Ms. Hayar told the press that this award aims to raise awareness among exhibitors, whether institutional or private publishers, of the importance of ensuring accessibility to the various stands.
The minister specified that the jury, composed of representatives of associations and specialists in the field of disability, visited 297 stands and approved a list of evaluation criteria, mainly in terms of accessibility of infrastructures, activities and contents.
She reported a great improvement in accessibility for people with disabilities at the cultural event, noting that a number of stands included Braille or sign language.
In a similar statement, Mr. Bensaïd stressed the importance of this initiative, considering that the involvement of his department is necessary not only in this exhibition but in all activities organized by the ministry and even in the structures built in order to respect national and international standards in this field.
He added that citizens with disabilities have the right to access these spaces in a normal manner, as this is a constitutional right, and also taking into account Morocco’s adherence to international conventions in this area.
The joint commitment of the two ministries contributes to ensuring compliance with national and international accessibility standards, including during the SIEL.
2024-08-14 12:24:38