JEDDAH, 1 March 2008 — A noticeable mark of this year’s Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF), which ended on Wednesday, was the presence of sign language at the forums. Interpreters were displayed on screens to offer communication to people with hearing and speech impairment. Interpreters Mohamed Al-Qahtani and Faiza Natto of the Jeddah Club for the Deaf were busy during the three-day forum as they interpreted the speeches via screens at each event.
Working with the JEF organizer, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Jeddah Club for the Deaf trained deaf people to provide ushering services to the deaf participants at the event. “The girls welcomed the idea and were eager to participate,” said Amaal Al-Hadrami, secretary of the Jeddah Club for the Deaf.
Faiza Natto, president of the club’s women’s department, said the event was a boost to self-esteem. “People said they did not notice that these ushers were deaf-mute as they were acting as professional, as normal people,” she said. “This is my sixth year working at the club. I haven’t seen deaf-mute people outdoors before . . . This is the first attempt and it opened different paths for them.”
Students received offers during JEF to participate in organizing different occasions even in Riyadh. Five students and two supervisors from the club participated in ushering. There were seven deaf-mute girls were present while around 15 male students were ushering in the men’s section.
“There were more men participating in the men’s section,” said Al-Hadrami. “Some of the families did not agree to their girls showing up at the forum.”
Wala’a Abdullah, a 24-year-old deaf Saudi woman who is affiliated with the Jeddah Club for the Deaf, said in sign language that the forum offered a good opportunity to be seen not just by local VIPs, but also foreign ones. “This proved that we could work and be as effective as normal people,” she said in sign language. “People now know more about us especially after we were on TV and in the media.”
She said that she was annoyed at the stereotype that deaf-mute people in the Saudi society are helpless and cannot do anything outside of their homes. “This is the first opportunity given to us to use our energy and be effective and responsible,” she said. “We were hoping for this opportunity long ago.”
Also communicating with his hands, Rasha Abu Zaid said he was thrilled to be in such a limelight providing a service to deaf attendees. “I am happy to be here and proud to be a deaf-mute appearing in front of people and taking part in organizing this event,” he said. “We should always be together with normal people and we shouldn’t be left alone.”
These girls want to have the jobs that will allow them to support themselves and be important members of the society using the energy they have that is not hindered by a lost sense.
