SINCE 2006, SCHS INTEGRATED 478 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
The Integration Unit, which is an affiliate of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), is organizing ‘Educational Integration Month’ activity during February 2019. The activity aims at raising schools, administrators, and educational bodies’ awareness of the concept of integrating persons with disabilities into educational environment according to the best practices worldwide.
Mrs. Duaa Mohammed Al-Dridi, Supervisor of the Integration Unit, has confirmed the importance of this activity and the workshops organized in the first week of February. More than 135 students with and without disabilities benefited from these workshops.
The beginning was when SCHS integration unit organized a full integration for students with disabilities in Emirates School. Moreover, the unit organized a partial integration in collaboration with SCHS Early Intervention Center at Seven Oaks British Nursery and Al Bassaer Private School.
Al-Dridi has pointed out that full integration means non-disabled students visit disability centers and join students with disabilities in classrooms. As for partial integration, it means that students with disabilities visit public and private schools to participate in some activities.
She talked about the policy of integrating children with disabilities in public and private schools. This policy corresponds to SCHS objectives. Many attempts of integrating children who are hard of hearing or suffering from visual impairment, or learning difficulties have been successful. However, the most important thing about these attempts is administrators’ acceptance and cooperation.
She said, “SCHS has been able to integrate more than 461 students with physical, hearing, and visual impairments from 2006 to 2017 in collaboration with public and private schools and universities. In addition, there are a number of students with disabilities joined the University of Sharjah”.
The Integration Unit, which SCHS established in 2017, was able to integrate 17 students with disabilities completely. The unit is making efforts to integrate 20 students in many schools and nurseries.
Al-Dridi has pointed out that SCHS Integration Unit is planning to organize a workshop under the title (Accessible Environment) in collaboration with SCHS Physical and Occupational Therapy Department. In addition, the unit is going to perform a partial integration for children with disabilities in Special World Nursery Sharjah.
According to Al-Dridi, SCHS Integration Unit is planning to continue ‘Educational Integration Month’ activity by organizing a meeting for the families of integrated students with the families of students who are candidates for integration. In addition, the unit will organize a workshop about behavior management in collaboration with SCHS Branch in Kallba.