Al Amal School for the Deaf celebrates the 50th Arab Deaf Week
Al Amal School for the Deaf, affiliated with Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), will celebrate the 50th Arab Deaf Week from April 20 to 27, 2025, under the theme "The feasibility of using artificial intelligence in educating and rehabilitating people with hearing impairment" and through an extensive program of events, lectures, programs, and activities in which its teachers and students participate in their crucial and influential role.
In order to promote and prevent deafness and to increase awareness of the rights, abilities, and many kinds of issues faced by deaf people, the week is a media and human rights event.
Arab Deaf Week was launched based on the recommendations of the Second Conference of the Arab Union of Organizations Working with the Deaf, which was held in Damascus from April 24 to 26, 1974. It is the same week that was chosen as Arab Deaf Week every year, where governmental, private, and private Arab deaf institutions meet under a unified slogan and theme that is chosen in coordination with the Union.
Ms. Afaf Al-Haridi, Director of Al-Amal School for the Deaf, spoke about the meanings of the slogan and its connotations. She stressed that technology has proven its effectiveness in enhancing communication and opening new horizons for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and with the advancement of artificial intelligence and its integration into the educational process, this will contribute to making classrooms more inclusive for all.
Regarding the most important activities organized by the school on this occasion, Ms. Afaf said: In cooperation with the Sharjah Municipality, the municipality building was illuminated in blue, which... (represents deaf people). In addition to organizing cultural and entertainment events within Sharjah Municipality.
With the participation of 30 male and female students from various schools across the nation, including 16 male and female students from Al Amal School for the Deaf, Al Amal School for the Deaf, in collaboration with the Smart Brain International Center for Mental Arithmetic, organized a mental arithmetic competition in the presence of Her Excellency Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei, Director General of SCHS, and Engineer Tariq Al Hammadi, Director of the Care and Activities Department at the Sharjah Private Education Authority. The competition's winners were recognized at the conclusion.
Along with a workshop on sign language and the rights of the deaf, Khorfakhan University's school collaborated with Al Kamal School to host an awareness lecture on sign language and English called "The Importance of Language in Communication."
Al-Haridi explained that the cybersecurity ambassadors at Al Amal School for the Deaf presented a workshop on digital security in a number of Sharjah schools. The school also organized a media panel discussion on bilingualism, with the participation of deaf people, parents, and specialists.
Regarding Al Amal School for the Deaf, Ms. Afaf explained: Al Amal School for the Deaf was opened in 1979, while Al Amal Kindergarten for the Deaf was opened in 1983. It is an educational institution affiliated with the SCHS and licensed by the Sharjah Authority for Special Education. The Ministry of Education curriculum is applied to all educational levels from kindergarten to the twelfth grade.
Al-Haridi emphasized that the school wants to give deaf pupils a top-notch education by utilizing contemporary technology to improve their future and twenty-first century skills. It uses the most recent administrative and educational practices and systems available in the United Arab Emirates. By choosing the top administrative and instructional staff and outfitting the school with the newest tools and resources backed by a cutting-edge technical infrastructure, the school also aims to provide exceptional educational outcomes.
"In line with the best international practices, educational services are among the most important services that the school offers to its students," she stated. All educational levels—foundational, second, and third stages—follow the Ministry of Education's curriculum. At Al Amal Kindergarten for the Deaf, the Ministry of Education's curriculum is followed together with the AEPS assessment, measurement, and programming curriculum.
The school also provides therapeutic services, including speech and language sessions, music therapy, and physical therapy, in addition to hearing aid follow-up, evaluation and counseling, psychological, health and medical, and support services such as sports, music, art, and recreational trips.
Ms. Hanan Zaki, Deputy Director of Al Amal School for the Deaf talked about the most important achievements that the school has reached since its founding, as it is the first school concerned with deaf people that has implemented the ministerial curriculum since 1981 until now, enabled the graduation of deaf and hard of hearing students from high school and enrolled them in universities. It was also the first school for people with hearing disabilities in the country to obtain accreditation from Microsoft as a showcase school for 8 consecutive years.
In 2016, Al Amal School for the Deaf joined the UNESCO Schools, and the school has won many educational awards, including the “Khalifa Educational Award - the Sharjah Award for Excellence and Educational Excellence - the Sharjah Sustainability Award - the Haya Award for Special Education - the Aoun Award for Community Services - the Bett Asia Award. Many of its students have also won awards, including the “Sharjah Award for Excellence and Educational Excellence”, “UCMAS Competition in Cambodia” and the Reading Challenge Competition.