AL-AMAL SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF CELEBRATES THE 46TH ARAB DEAF WEEK
Under the slogan (People with hearing impairment face the Corona pandemic), Al-Amal School for the Deaf affiliated to Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services celebrates the forty-sixth Arab Deaf Week from 20 to 27 April 2021, under the sponsorship of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ms. Afaf Al-Haridi, Director of the Al-Amal School for the Deaf, has confirmed the effectiveness of the measures taken by the school since the outbreak of the pandemic, with taking safety and security measures and providing training programs for distance education for teachers, specialists and parents through the online platform. It is consistent with the directives of Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, who is very keen to educate persons with disabilities in accordance with international best practices.
She said, "The slogan of the forty-sixth week sheds light on deaf people facing COVID19 pandemic and the challenges that they were able to overcome". She noted the influential role of the city in the continuation of the distance education process and the support of deaf people, their teachers and parents.
Microsoft Corporation has chosen the school for five consecutive years as a Showcase School. The school prepars all teachers and specialists to implement the distance education program through the training program held by the Sharjah Education Authority and the Ministry of Education via the LMS platform and the Sharjah Academy for Special Education under the slogan (Sharjah Schools Prepare). She emphasized that Al-Amal School has a previous and successful experience in the field of distance education using the smart education portal, especially since the school has been implementing the smart learning program for years as part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Program for Smart Learning.
Afaf Al-Haridi explained that all teachers of Al-Amal School own the appropriate devices for the training and education process. The city, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Sharjah Education Authority, provided students lacking smart devices with new ones. It is in order to ensure that the educational process proceeded according to the study plans and the prescribed teaching hours so that the teachers and students connect via smart devices at the same time to explain lessons, apply information and answer inquiries.
On this occasion, a number of public figures congratulated the deaf people (in sign language) wishing them more success and excellence in all fields. These personalities are His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, Dr. Sharif Sidqi, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Sharjah, His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin, Director General of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As well as His Excellency Dr. Saeed Musabbah Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Sharjah Education Council, His Excellency Thabet Salem Al Tarifi, Director General of the Sharjah City Municipality, His Excellency Khaled Jassem Al Midfa, Chairman of the Commercial and Tourism Development Authority, and His Excellency Ali Ahmed Al Hosani, Director of the Sharjah Special Education Authority.
In addition, a number of Al-Amal School for the Deaf graduates expressed their great thanks to Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services in sign language (videos) that they published on social media. They highly appreciated the great efforts made to obtain the best education that enabled them to continue their higher education and achieve their goals in society.
Within the activities of the week, the school, in cooperation with Sharjah Islamic Bank, the Ministry of Interior and the Services Department of Sharjah Police, organized a virtual lecture entitled (Electronic Card Fraud). It aimed at educating deaf people about using the electronic card in a safe manner and avoiding fraudsters who try to exploit people and steal them through these cards.
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, the school will organize a forum (let us talk) in the presence of specialists and experts from inside and outside the country at 10 am on the Zoom app. anyone can participate.
In its first session, the forum will discuss the mental health of the deaf, the psychological feelings and the special educational needs of parents of children with disabilities during the COVID19 pandemic. In addition to the challenges of education during the pandemic through "the experience of Al-Amal School for the Deaf", as well as the role of deaf institutions in empowering and raising professional competence.
While the second session discusses the issue of the family as a primary partner, the challenges that faced deaf students during the Corona pandemic, the linguistic equality of deaf and hard of hearing students. In addition to working under the pandemic, addressing unemployment and creating an early intervention program for deaf children from one day to four years old.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Qaryouti, Dr. in Special Education, Dr. Samir Samreen, President of the Arab Organization for Sign Language Interpreters "Selah", representative of the International Association "Wasli", and Dr. Soheir Abdel Hafeez, a consultant of special education and the empowerment of deaf and hard of hearing persons, persons with visual impairment and their families are keynote speakers. Mary Lynn, Assistant Professor at United Arab Emirates University, researcher and human rights activist in the field of persons with disabilities, Anas Al-Shetwi, psychological counselor at the University of Sharjah, Basem Abdul Ghaffar, student at Al-Amal School for the Deaf, Rashid Al-Ketbi, and Professor Ashraf Odeh, interpreter and trainer of sign language are going to speak as well.