Abu Dhabi: He enjoys action movies, sitting with his friends in cafes and wandering around the mall. A typical teenager, Mohammad Mubarak has just one thing that set him apart from his peers — he was born deaf.

"My baby sister, who is two-years-old, and I are the only deaf ones in our family," the 15-year-old Emirati said.

"But I do not feel any different than other teenagers… I have many different hobbies and interests, like swimming," he added.

Mohammad, a pupil at the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, is leading daily workshops on sign language for young children in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair's (ADIBF) Creativity Corner.

The fair is running until Monday April 2 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec). It is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and held under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

"We have been doing the workshops since the fair's opening day… feedback from the children has been great, they are curious to learn more about Mohammad, about how to sign certain words and some have picked up the alphabet quickly," said Saeed Ali Saeed Al Qashberi, a sign language interpreter and the workshop's co-host.

"My daughters have two deaf cousins and this workshop has helped them not only learn more on how to interact with them but they have also learnt some words and phrases that will allow them to communicate with them," said Adnan Al Jaberi an Emirati father of two, Fatima, six, and Mariam, who is two-and-a-half years old.

Active role

Several special needs centres are taking an active role at the ADIBF, mainly through various children's workshops, which are having a positive effect not only on the young participants but their parents as well.

"The more we take in events such as this, the more we raise awareness among members of the public, which in turn helps us clear up misconceptions about the limitations of those with special needs," said Rafat Ahmad Al Homshary, Coordinator, Vocational Training Department, Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care, Special Needs and Minors' Affairs, Al Ain.

He added much has been achieved by the special needs community in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi over the past 15 years.

"Many pupils with special needs have successfully transferred to mainstream schools, joined universities and have even found employment… thanks to the different avenues now available to raise awareness in society, we are now finding that there are more people who want to have an active part in our community, in one way or another."

"But there are still more children and people with special needs than there are facilities to cater to their needs. As part of our efforts to address this shortage, we are opening six new centres by the end of 2014 across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi," he added.

In the meantime, Mohammad has successfully concluded another workshop and is planning what activities and avenues he will explore at the fair.