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The UAE joins the world in celebrating Sign Language Day, which falls on September 23 of each year. As part of its ongoing efforts to support and empower people of determination, especially the deaf and hearing impaired, the UAE has achieved many accomplishments through inclusive employment in qualified and productive work environments, qualifying the surrounding community to deal with them in the best possible way, and ensuring that they receive the services they need with ease and convenience as a priority.
Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, said: “This occasion is an affirmation of the right of people with hearing disabilities and speech difficulties to speak their language, and considering this right as a characteristic of the cultural diversity of society, and a necessity in order to increase the number of speakers in all service fields, which contributes to their integration and encourages them to communicate more outside the scope of their traditional relationships, and increases the opportunities for their empowerment to play greater roles in society that are commensurate with their skills and abilities.”
Her Excellency stressed that providing an inclusive and enabling environment for people of determination requires taking into account their specific needs and striving to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from obtaining their various rights, whether social, educational or otherwise.
She added that the country’s celebration of this occasion is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of hearing and speech impairments obtaining their basic rights, and the need for collective work towards a society that enhances their integration and builds bridges of communication to embrace them in the language they speak without discrimination, and emphasizes the importance of adopting sign language as an approved means of communication whose principles are known to all customer service employees in institutions and companies, with the aim of gradually transforming them into friendly and inclusive entities for people of determination, especially those with hearing disabilities.
unified dictionary
For his part, Abdullah Ismail Al Kamali, Executive Director of the People of Determination Sector at Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Deaf Association, said: “Celebrating this occasion confirms the importance of sign languages in communicating with this group. People with hearing disabilities have the ability to excel and achieve creativity in various fields, and at the same time they are influential by assuming vital roles in society.”
He stressed the importance of spreading the culture of awareness of sign language to enhance efforts aimed at integrating people of determination from the deaf category, praising the unlimited support of the country’s leadership and its true belief in the importance of supporting this category and empowering them in society, including the deaf category, pointing out that in 2018, the UAE launched a sign language dictionary for the deaf, which collects the terms of the local Emirati sign language and documents them in a unified, approved dictionary that aims to serve people of determination, the deaf category, and integrate them into society and spread their language in a way that ensures its continuity and growth. The dictionary includes 5,000 words to be used in teaching and integrating deaf students as a primary reference, and it also helps in preparing and qualifying sign language interpreters from among the citizens of the UAE.
Direct contact
Mariam Othman, Director General of Rashid Center for People of Determination, said that the “annual celebration” is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of the role of people of determination in society, and to highlight the state’s efforts in providing all forms of support and comprehensive care for them, overcoming all challenges in various vital fields in the country, and strengthening and empowering people of determination and the initiatives and policies that would advance this category and improve the level of services provided to them, which resulted in naming the category of people with disabilities as people of determination.
She pointed out that this occasion highlights the importance of direct communication between people with disabilities and others, and reducing the condescending view that some societies may exercise towards them.
Salma Hamad Al Tamimi, Secretary General of the Emirates Deaf Association, explained that the International Day of Sign Language emphasizes the importance of integrating people with hearing disabilities and encouraging them to communicate more outside the scope of their traditional relationships, and to embody greater roles in society that are consistent with their skills and abilities.
She added: The capabilities of the deaf are no less than those of other speakers, and they are part of the fabric of the local community. The association is considered a voice for the deaf in the country, which pays great attention to this category based on the great value of a social category that is an active partner in the process of building the country and its renaissance.
Musabah Saeed Al Neyadi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Deaf Association, explained that the association, which was established in 2010, currently has 370 members, and seeks through its various activities to improve the lives of members by providing support, training and awareness to the deaf, their parents and those who work with them.
He said: “The UAE has achieved qualitative achievements within the framework of its plans to support the deaf and hard of hearing category and through multiple initiatives aimed at integrating them into society and enhancing their educational and professional opportunities. It also seeks to provide a comprehensive environment that allows this category to easily access services and information, through developing simultaneous sign language translation technologies and launching awareness programmes aimed at spreading awareness about their rights and needs.”
He stated that the Ministry of Community Development is keen to promote the rights of people of determination and empower them, including the deaf and hard of hearing, through quality services, such as the “Contact Us in Sign Language” service, which the Ministry provides within the framework of enabling the deaf to ask questions in sign language through the website, where they record their questions in sign language through the camera, which are translated into writing by sign language interpreters, and they are also answered in sign language.
The Ministry also provides a website translation service using a virtual translator to connect people of determination in this category with new developments and updates. The Ministry has also completed a guide for employing people of determination, equipped with sign language translation technology through a virtual three-dimensional cartoon character.
umbrella
Al Neyadi said that the association, which falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Community Development, is currently working on implementing a number of proposals to improve services for the deaf in the country, including providing sign language interpreters for deaf students in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, in addition to providing optical devices to alert the deaf in emergencies, while working to enhance the presence of sign language interpreters in sensitive locations, such as hospitals, pointing out the need for translation to be available immediately without the need to request it.
Outstanding Achievements
He stated that the association supported a number of deaf students in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, where more than 40 students were able to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and 20 of them received full scholarships.
