About the Workshop

As the world witnesses tremendous developments and a significant increase in international demands to genuinely and effectively integrate people with disabilities into society —especially through the implementation of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, granting them their rights, and facilitating their access to all venues and places, including deaf individuals (those with hearing impairments)— and in recognition of the diversity that is a natural part of life as ordained by God, it is our religious and humanitarian duty to learn their language (sign language) to help ease their communication with the world around them.

Learning sign language helps us contribute to raising awareness about the issues faced by the deaf and overcoming the daily challenges they encounter. A lack of awareness of sign language means that the deaf will continue to struggle in accessing public services.

Sign language is a simple and enjoyable language that requires little time to learn. However, it also requires practice and communication with the deaf, just like English and other languages, which need continuous practice to reach a level of proficiency and then mastery.

Structure:

The workshop includes a combination of:

• Presentations
• Individual and pair activities
• Introduction of oneself and sentence formation in sign language
• Practice in constructing sign language sentences and understanding their linguistic structure

Methodology: The workshop adopts a gradual approach to learning sign language, like other languages, where participants will practice what they have learned daily after each session and complete daily assignments to reinforce their retention of signs and build on them for the next lesson. Participants will also engage in bilingual translation activities and dialogues between two people, aiming to acquire the necessary skills to perform sign language professionally and effectively in workplace settings. Participants’ evaluations will be based on in-class exercises and homework assignments.

Learning Objectives:

1. Introduction to sign language, its history, definition, and uses, as well as the sign language in Qatar and the Arabic and foreign sign languages.
2. Introduction to the basics of sign language and its alphabet.
3. Learning how to communicate with a deaf person, welcoming them, assisting them, and preparing everything necessary to serve them.
4. Learning commonly used and popular words in sign language and acquiring the ability to engage in conversation with a deaf person.
5. Learning the names of places and landmarks in Qatar, as well as the cities and various tourist attractions in the country, in sign language.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Gaining in-depth familiarity with sign language and learning about deaf individuals.
2. Increasing participants’ awareness of their religious, humanitarian, and ethical responsibilities toward this community group.
3. Acquiring sign language skills to communicate with the deaf and assisting them.
4. Promoting the culture of sign language in society and various workplaces through the diverse specializations of the trainees.
5. Learning the fundamentals of sign language interpretation.

Target Participants: The course is suitable for students specializing in special education and learning disabilities, families with a deaf member, employees in service departments, and various individuals and groups within the community.

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