JEDDAH, 19 April 2007 — The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH) in Riyadh held an award ceremony yesterday to congratulate 20 employees who underwent a sign language course to communicate with hearing-impaired patients.
“It might be difficult for us to understand hearing-impaired people, but we learned recently, through this course, how frustrating and depressing it is for these people and how they struggle to communicate,” said Turki Al-Ajmah, from the Patients’ Relations Department at KFSH.
Al-Ajmah said that the Deaf and Mute Society in Riyadh were delighted when the KFSH contacted them to organize a course to teach sign language. The society added that this was the first time they had received such a request.
The 20 employees of both sexes, including Al-Ajmah, completed the one-week course yesterday. “You don’t know how bad it is unless you try it yourself. Thank God, now that we know,” he said. The 20 employees will now be wearing badges indicating that they are able to communicate in sign language.
Al-Ajmah added that on Tuesday an individual in his 20s visiting the hospital accidentally approached staff at KFSH by communicating through sign language.
“He was surprised that we all answered him via sign language. He asked why we were learning it. When we told him that we wanted to communicate with people like him he began to cry,” he said.
Al-Ajmah said that the youth said it was the first time for him to meet employees in the government sector that are concerned about deaf people. “He said he suffers a lot when visiting hospital and other sectors. Some people ignore us, while others just kick us out,” he added.
Al-Ajmah said the course was beneficial and enjoyable, and he wished more people and government sectors would undergo it. “That is why this awarding ceremony has been held. Not only to congratulate us but to also encourage others to do so.”
Qasim Al-Qasabi, KFSHRC administration counselor and supervisor of the program, told reporters that they were “fully prepared to offer the course to any group who wants to make a difference,” especially those who work under the Youth Welfare umbrella such as sports federations and clubs.
