The closing ceremony of the 'Guidance Communication' project titled 'Let's Communicate with a Sign' was held today, on the occasion of International Sign Languages Day, which is celebrated every year on September 23, in Oman.
Ceremony and Objectives of the Project
The ceremony took place in the aviation hall of the Civil Aviation Authority and was organized by the Al-Tawasul Educational Institute along with the 'Nafez' application and the Oman Human Rights Commission. The event was supported by Dr. Abdullah bin Hamoud Al-Hurti, the Deputy Minister of Social Development for Disability Affairs.
The 'Guidance Communication' project is defined as a national initiative to promote a culture of effective communication and enhance social inclusion for individuals with hearing disabilities. This project aims to raise awareness about sign language, correct misconceptions about hearing disabilities, and familiarize individuals with their legal rights and responsibilities through explaining the law on the rights of individuals with disabilities.
Geographical Expansion and Strategic Partnerships
This project also seeks geographical expansion to cover all provinces of Oman, where the total number of individuals with hearing disabilities is estimated to be around 17,046. The project aims to establish strategic partnerships with governmental entities and private institutions to ensure ongoing financial and logistical support, as well as to strengthen its media presence through the production of permanent content to reach broader segments of society.
The 'Guidance Communication' project has been implemented in five different locations and has managed to provide educational and awareness programs for over 150 male and female employees from the public sector, more than 125 community members, and over 110 individuals with hearing disabilities.
The closing ceremony included the presentation of key results from the project and a visual presentation documenting the project's stations since its inception. Additionally, two working papers were presented, the first addressing 'Human Rights for Individuals with Disabilities' and the second discussing 'Technology and Sign Language Translation'.
The program concluded with a working paper titled 'Sustainable Empowerment System for Sign Language', presented by Sultan Al-Amiri, CEO of the 'Nafez' application and Executive Director of the Al-Tawasul Educational Institute. This paper examined the prospects for continuing work on empowering sign language communication and its future development.
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