King Saud University (KSU) and ICDL Saudi Arabia, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) program in Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the ECDL Foundation and UNESCO-Cairo, have recently signed a memorandum of understanding that will establish a pioneering ICDL program for the visually impaired in the Kingdom. The strategic alliance is part of ICDL's commitment to enable the proficient use of information and communications technology that empowers individuals, organizations and the entire society. Under the partnership, ICDL Saudi Arabia will provide the Quality Assurance Standards and Syllabus for the ICDL for the Blind program, while it will also endorse KSU with UNESCO-Cairo to be one of the initial centres taking part in UNESCO's “Best Practice” initiative. The UNESCO's project will support one centre in each country with a graduation ceremony and international recognition in the hope that other similar centers will learn from the best practice centre and establish their own facilities for the visually impaired. KSU for its part will establish a dedicated Approved ICDL Training and Test Center for visually impaired students and will provide all the qualified staff and administrators. The University has also pledged to give each of its pioneering students a laptop specifically configured for the visually impaired. Dr. Abdullah Al-Othman, King Saud University rector, said: “We are honored to partner with ICDL Saudi Arabia, the premier global standard for computer literacy, for this groundbreaking project. King Saud University is fully committed to offer our best resources to ensure the success of the ICDL for the Blind program as we believe that this will significantly raise the level of IT proficiency of the visually impaired, increase their employment opportunities and make them more productive members of the society. __
