Latest news with #Al-Jouan
Kuwait Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Kuwait Times
Forum urges inclusion of hearing-impaired in line with vision 2035
Women's Institute for Development and Peace (WIDP) organizes the fifth edition of the Kuwait Deaf Day Forum under the theme 'The Cry of the Deaf and Kuwait Vision 2035'. KUWAIT: The Women's Institute for Development and Peace (WIDP) organized the fifth edition of the Kuwait Deaf Day Forum under the theme 'The Cry of the Deaf and Kuwait Vision 2035,' highlighting the importance of empowering individuals with hearing disabilities and enhancing their integration into all sectors of society. Held on May 8 under the patronage and attendance of Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaei, the forum took place at the Arab Center for Educational Research for the Gulf States. The event resulted in a set of comprehensive recommendations aimed at upholding the rights of the hearing-impaired in education, healthcare, and employment. WIDP President Kawthar Al-Jouan told KUNA on Sunday that the forum put forth general, sector-specific, and health-related recommendations designed to support the inclusion of the hearing-impaired and affirm their right to self-determination. Al-Jouan stressed the importance of expanding educational opportunities for the deaf community, including access to Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). She also called for the creation of employment pathways tailored to this capable and distinguished segment of society. The forum featured four dialogue sessions with the participation of experts, specialists, and policymakers from Kuwait and Bahrain. Key recommendations included the employment of hearing-impaired individuals, admission of deaf students into the College of Basic Education, official recognition of Kuwaiti Sign Language as a second language, and revising school hours to align with public education needs. Additional proposals focused on utilizing retired teachers within the Special Education Department and appointing qualified sign language interpreters, with calls to provide financial rewards for their services. On the healthcare front, recommendations emphasized the importance of early detection of hearing loss, proper use of hearing aids, and granting individuals the right to seek medical treatment abroad when local options are unavailable. Al-Jouan concluded the forum by honoring participants from the Ministry of Education, the Educational Research Center for the Gulf States, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs' Committee for Promoting Moderation, the Dean of the College of Education at Kuwait University, and the Director of the Special Education Schools Department, in recognition of their contributions to the forum's success. — KUNA
Kuwait Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Forum urges more academic freedom, support for deaf students in Kuwait
Al-Jouan calls for teaching sign language at schools KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti advocate is calling for integrating sign language into all stages of education — treating it like any second language — to help drive societal development and progress. Speaking at the Fifth Kuwaiti Deaf Day Forum, held under the slogan 'The Deaf's Voice... and Kuwait's Vision 2035,' Kawthar Al-Jouan, Head of the Women's Institute for Development and Peace, urged authorities to allow deaf students to freely choose their academic majors and fields of study at Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), without restrictions. She stressed the need for equal access to scholarships abroad and medical treatment missions when services are not available locally. 'We are committed to supporting this vital group, who possess full legal capacity just like the rest of us. They may have lost one form of expression, but they have not lost the language of challenge, achievement, and contribution,' she said, emphasizing her belief that the hearing-impaired and other groups form a beautiful, united fabric of Kuwaiti society. The forum — organized by the Women's Institute for Development and Peace at the Arab Center for Educational Research for the Gulf States — tackled four key themes: education, legal rights, health, and social integration. Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaei said the ministry has made 'steady and determined progress' on development projects that strengthen the inclusion of hearing-impaired individuals in society and reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to meeting its international obligations, particularly under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Kawthar Al-Jouan Dr Abdullah Al-Shuraika Minister Al-Tabtabaei also noted that Kuwait's support for the hearing-impaired dates back to the establishment of the first specialized school — Amal Schools — in the 1959–1960 academic year. Dr Abdullah Al-Shuraika, Director of the Center for Moderation at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, praised the forum as a reflection of Kuwait's humanitarian values and respect for human rights. He commended the Minister of Education's participation and emphasized the importance of further reform and development in the education sector to better serve the deaf community. Al-Jouan has previously highlighted the inability of deaf students to select their preferred majors and the persistent lack of qualified sign language interpreters at Kuwait University and PAAET as major challenges. The shortage of sign language interpreters at public institutions has been extensively documented by the media. Advocates have long urged for improved services for the deaf community, highlighting persistent gaps in support. Numerous reports have detailed the challenges deaf students face — particularly the lack of interpreters — which severely hinders their ability to communicate with faculty, understand course material, and fully participate in academic life. In its efforts to improve services for the deaf, Kuwait University has a Special Needs Department under the Deanship of Student Affairs, which provides highly qualified sign language interpreters. The university has also published awareness videos in sign language on its social media accounts, and provided periodic training courses for students and faculty. In 2022, a specialized committee was established to work toward integrating sign language into the curriculum, although no public updates have been issued since. — Agencies
