A call for more community partnerships that translate the values of equity and equality into a tangible reality was made by the participants of the International Deaf Week and International Sign Language Day, organised by the Omani Association for People with Hearing Disabilities.
Held under the auspices of Lujaina Mohsin Darwish with the theme ‘No human rights without the right to use sign language’, and attended by a number of official figures and representatives of national institutions, the International Deaf Week and International Sign Language Day envisaged a scene that embodied the meanings of empowerment and inclusion.
“We need to offer more empowerment to the people with hearing difficulties and better rehabilitation programmes in order to help these people live a normal life. To achieve this, better community programmes that aim at inclusion of this sector of people are the need of the hour,” said Lujaina Mohsin Darwish.
The event also indicated that deaf communities must be part of disaster planning through leadership and collaboration. They can be a part of the disaster management team using national sign languages and deaf-centred strategies.
Article 11 of the UNCRPD and the Sendai Framework require states and organisations to ensure that deaf people have access to information in sign language during emergencies.
The event emphasised the association's pioneering role in establishing sign language as a language of life and a bridge for human communication, highlighting the contributions of deaf people and their ability to innovate and participate actively in society. The event also honoured a select group of individuals and institutions that have made a significant impact in supporting the initiatives and projects led by the association.
It implied that deaf-led alliances, in collaboration with governments and other organisations, play a vital role in advancing sign language rights. Following the motto ‘nothing about us without us’, true progress comes from partnerships where deaf people lead and others support them as committed allies.
The association emphasised that this occasion represents an important milestone in raising awareness of the rights of people with hearing disabilities, highlighting their creative energies, and calling for more community partnerships that translate the values of equality and equity into a tangible reality.
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