Ministry of Community Development organises activities to empower people with hearing disabilities

The Ministry of Community Development, in conjunction with the UAE's celebration of The Arab Deaf Week in its 47th session from 20th to 27th April, 2022, will organise several activities to enhance the inclusion and empowerment vision aimed at achieving the theme "Incorporating Sign Language in Education Curriculum at all Stages".

The event also aligns with the goals of the national policy for empowering people of determination specifically in the pillar of education through the launch of awareness programmes, in accordance with the ministry's vision to achieve inclusion considering different needs on ground.

Part of the activities that support the people of determination during the event is the Ministry's participation in the TV Ramadan show entitled "Between You and Me", which includes a competition about the meaning of each sign language term; an episode on the ministry’s Instagram live account, presented by the sign language expert Mohammed Al Ramzi, to talk about the importance of sign language in the education curriculum; two workshops presented by Abir Al Shehhi, sign language specialist in the Ministry, on the basics of sign language in schools; and the presentation of a sign language workshop that includes the translation of some lectures, in collaboration with the Zayed Higher Foundation.

According to the Ministry of Community Development database, about 3065 people of determination are with "hearing disabilities" of UAE citizens and residents, 1833 males and 1232 females, of which 60 percent are males.

The "Arab Deaf Week" was approved based on the recommendations of the Second Conference of the Arab Federation for Organisations of the Deaf, held in Damascus in 1974, to highlight and raise awareness on the fundamental rights of these categories and empower them to participate in the development journey.

The UAE gave great attention to the deaf people segments reflecting its ratification of the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to achieve the best and full support for the rights of the deaf categories in the UAE community.

News Source: Emirates News Agency