SCHS

SCHS INTEGRATED MORE THAN 500 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN SCHOOLS SINCE 1995

Feb 5, 2020

On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, the activities of Inclusive Education Month, which Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) organizes every year, started.  This activity aims at activating inclusive education, raising awareness of its importance, and creating suitable environment for students with disabilities in schools as well as supporting their families.

Doaa Al-Dureidi Supervisor of SCHS Integration Unit talked about the importance of introducing the concept of inclusive education and empowering students with disabilities in schools alongside their non-disabled peers as well as support them with adjustments and educational strategies designed to meet their individual needs.

During the month, the unit will supervise the integration of a number of students with disabilities in public nurseries, kindergartens and private schools in addition to organizing workshops to train teachers and administrators on successful integration strategies.

Al-Dureidi confirmed that the most important of these strategies are the development of individual plans, setting appropriate goals, and using images and technical programs.

The unit will organize a series of sessions and workshops targeting the families of persons with disabilities, with the aim of sharing expertise, presenting experiences and raising awareness about preparing students with disabilities for adolescence.

Moreover, the Self-Advocate Sheikha Al Qasimi, Representative of Self-Advocates in Inclusion International for the Middle East and North Africa MENA, is going to deliver a workshop about her experience with inclusive education and self-advocacy.

The supervisor of the unit has pointed out that Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services was able to integrate more than 502 students with disabilities in nurseries, public and private schools since 1995.

The Integration Unit integrated 41 students with disabilities since its establishment in 2017.  The unit continue supervising students by organizing regular field visits to make sure that integration process is going well in addition to exploring the arising needs and challenges in order to find solutions for it.

To conclude, Al-Dureidi has confirmed that the integration unit provides counseling sessions for the families of persons with disabilities, with the aim of making them aware of the issue of integration and provide information that helps the family in taking the appropriate decisions and choosing the appropriate school.