Imagine for a moment, if you will, living in this technological age where communication is all important, that you could not speak. Or that you were unable to hear correctly and fully what was going on around you. You are isolated, cut off from participating fully in society, effectively shunned for not being able to understand or take part fully in every facet of life.
For approximately 300 registered people living in the UAE, the senses of speech and hearing, all others take so readily for granted, are absent. The only way for them to communicate is through sign language. They are part of the 360 million people born deaf around the world.
Now, at last, there is a new unified Emirati sign language that will end the social isolation of the deaf, allowing them to fully participate and integrate into society as a whole. By teaching this language, people facing a life without hearing can now be taught to communicate from an early age.
This development should be lauded fully. When the UAE was founded, the principles of inclusion and equality were fundamental. And this initiative is an embodiment of those ideals.
