Ulaanbaatar
"The Secret History of the Mongols" Published in Braille
Society
Ulaanbaatar, June 12, 2024 /MONTSAME/. The Book Launch Ceremony for "The Secret History of the Mongols" in a format accessible to visually impaired people took place on June 10, 2024, at the Special Needs Hall of the new branch of the National Library of Mongolia.
This special edition of the book was published by the Chinggis Khaan Heritage and Culture Institute of Mongolia with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia. The Mongolian National Federation of the Blind and the Braille and Talking Book Printing Center of Mongolia also cooperated.
"The Secret History of the Mongols" is an invaluable source for understanding Mongolian history and literature. It reflects the characteristics of the Mongolian statehood, political system, legal code, religion, culture, and way of thinking. Visually impaired people in Mongolia have been most disadvantaged by accessible historical and cultural resources for a long time. Although a Braille Edition of "The Secret History of the Mongols" was published in 2006 by the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind, it is no longer sufficient to meet the current needs of readers.
According to the 2022 census by the National Statistics Office of Mongolia, 12,696 visually impaired citizens are in the country. Over 9,000 of them reside in local areas. Notably, no libraries in 21 aimags of Mongolia currently hold a copy of "The Secret History of the Mongols" in Braille. To improve book accessibility for visually impaired individuals, a new edition of "The Secret History of the Mongols" has been released, featuring a combination of Cyrillic and Braille print, along with a talking version.
The book will be distributed to the National Library of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar City Public Library, Mongolian National Federation of the Blind, Special Needs Secondary School No. 116 in Ulaanbaatar City, libraries under the Palace of Culture in Nalaikh and Baganuur Districts, All 21 aimags' libraries.
