The Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) has launched a five-day sign language training workshop for 15 participants from the Oman National Autism Centre. This initiative aims to improve communication with visitors who have hearing disabilities. It targets employees in the Directorate General of Persons with Disabilities, helping them provide better services to the community.
The workshop, which started on Sunday, focuses on promoting the use of Omani sign language. By enhancing communication, the goal is to facilitate smoother transactions for people with hearing impairments. The training will cover various essential topics, including job titles, department names, and tasks within the directorate. In addition, the workshop will explore practical applications of sign language in everyday scenarios.
Moza Salim al Ghafri, a sign language expert at MoSD, explained, “The workshop aims to equip participants with the necessary skills to communicate directly with hearing-impaired individuals. This will enable them to complete tasks without needing an interpreter.”
Ahmed bin Suleiman al Awfi, a participant from the Oman National Autism Centre, emphasized the importance of the training. He stated, “Learning sign language will aid in translation. It will also help integrate hearing-impaired individuals into society and improve communication and service delivery.”
On the first day of the workshop, the session began with an overview of the history of sign language. Participants also learned how to use sign language in contexts like family, business, and religion.
In the upcoming days, the workshop will focus on additional topics, including attributes, cases, colours, services, and job titles. Participants will also learn sign language related to locations within Oman, such as wilayats and institutions.
By the end of the workshop, employees will feel confident in communicating with hearing-impaired individuals. This will improve service delivery and contribute to fostering greater inclusion for people with disabilities in Oman. Ultimately, the initiative supports the mission of creating an inclusive society where everyone can access equal services.
