Gaza – (A.M. Qattan Foundation):
“Hearing impaired students possess a high visual fluency, and a great ability to use sight with high concentration. The deaf can accurately hear with their eyes and work with their hands, this is what the children achieved through their participation in the photography programme. ”
This is how Samira al-Khudari described the experience of her hearing impaired students during their participation in the Photography Programme implemented by The Child’s Centre/ A.M. Qattan Foundation in collaboration with Atfaluna Soceity for Deaf Children over three months between February and April 2019.
The programme aimed to equip children with hearing disabilities with basic skills in photography, the use of digital cameras and knowing how to identify different artistic photographs and how to capture them.
The children practiced their newly acquired knowledge through field visits organised by the centre throughout the duration of the programme to the Gaza Municipality Park, the Gaza Port, the Old City, a plant nursery, Isád al-Tofuleh Park Centre. This resulted in a collection of digital photographs which will form the basis of a photography exhibition.
The Photography Programme is part of the Child’s Centre’s efforts to integrate persons with disabilities, and to facilitate their full and active participation in the activities and programmes organised by the Centre for children with hearing disabilities. Those programme include “Higher than the fence”, “Fab Lab”, “The Young Filmmaker” and “Smart Electronics”.
The Photography Programme benefitted 15 students between aged between 12- 15.