Challenges of employing deaf people in the Saudi labor market and how to overcome them
Despite possessing academic qualifications and specialized scientific expertise, many people with hearing impairments still face complex challenges in entering the job market. A significant crisis in the employment of deaf individuals stems from the lack of appropriate mechanisms in some private sector employers to identify and optimally utilize the skills of deaf employees after they have been hired.
The history of Arab Deaf Week and its importance in employing deaf people
To highlight these challenges, the 51st Arab Deaf Week was launched, an event with a historical legacy dating back to 1974 when it was initiated by the Arab Federation of Organizations Working with the Deaf. This annual week, held during the last week of April, serves as a vital platform for raising awareness of the rights of people with hearing disabilities. The Saudi Association for Hearing Impairment in the Eastern Province, in cooperation with the Sa’i Foundation for the Rehabilitation and Employment of People with Disabilities, organized this year’s events at the Prince Sultan Science and Technology Center (SciTech) in Al-Khobar, under a strategic and profoundly significant theme: “The Career Path for the Deaf: From Rights to Responsibilities for a Better Life.”.
The significance of this event transcends the local level, reaching regional and international dimensions. Internationally, it aligns with the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which affirms the right to decent work. Regionally, it strengthens Arab solidarity through the exchange of expertise on integrating deaf individuals. Locally, this initiative constitutes a key pillar of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which explicitly stipulates the empowerment of people with disabilities, the achievement of equal opportunities, and their transformation into productive contributors to the national economy.
Field challenges and a real gap in the work environment
The events witnessed the launch of practical initiatives to empower the deaf, including receiving direct job applications and signing partnership agreements between the Saudi Association for Hearing Impairment and local companies to enhance career guidance and training. In this context, Abdulrahman Al-Hamoud, a deaf teacher and one of the first graduates of the Deaf Education program at King Saud University, addresses the core issue of employment.
Abdulrahman Al-Hamoud
Al-Hamoud explained that he and his sister are among the first deaf teachers in this field, expressing his pride in this experience, which places upon him a doubled responsibility to demonstrate his abilities and competencies. He pointed out a clear gap in the job market; while some organizations offer employment opportunities for the deaf, they are subsequently unable to utilize their true potential due to the lack of effective assessment and communication mechanisms in the workplace. He emphasized that the aspirations of deaf individuals are perfectly aligned with Vision 2030, affirming that the only difference between them and others is their sense of hearing, while their capabilities are no different.
Institutional efforts to address the shortage and create professional environments
In response to this organizational gap, the Saudi Association for Hearing Impairment in the Eastern Province is leading intensive efforts to bridge the gap and create professional environments for the integration of beneficiaries. The association's director, Arwa Al-Dossari, emphasized that these efforts extend beyond financial and logistical support, such as distributing hearing aids, to encompass the core of vocational empowerment.
Arwa Al-Dossari
Al-Dossari explained that the association receives job applications and works to connect applicants with suitable opportunities, while simultaneously offering intensive sign language courses for government and private entities to facilitate communication with deaf employees. She noted that sign language is easy and simple to learn because it relies on description and visual expression, making it easier to acquire and helping the community learn it to better serve people with hearing disabilities.
Proactive training to meet labor market demands
This vision aligns with the plans of board member Khaled Al-Hamoud, who views Arab Deaf Week as a strategic platform to improve the quality of life for this group by focusing on training. Al-Hamoud revealed that proactive workshops were organized to identify challenges related to career paths, with the aim of preparing and qualifying beneficiaries to meet the actual demands of the labor market.
Khaled Al-Hamoud
He noted that the association is working on developing conditional agreements with private sector institutions, guaranteeing the provision of rehabilitation programs for the deaf in exchange for these institutions' commitment to providing sustainable jobs that match their skills. He pointed out that a number of deaf individuals hold diverse qualifications in computer science and vocational diplomas, and the association is working to build partnerships to ensure their readiness and professional independence, including supporting micro-enterprises.
Breaking the isolation of the deaf and building leadership skills
Maryam Al-Asiri, from the Building Association for Vocational Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities, explained that the training programs extend to include handicrafts such as candle making, pottery, soap making, and resin art. She emphasized that participants undergo three-month vocational programs, culminating in either employment or logistical support to launch their own projects. She described the experience of working with deaf individuals as "smooth and straightforward.".
Maryam Al-Asiri
Alongside employment, specialized clubs play a vital role in breaking the isolation of the deaf and developing their leadership skills. Hamoud Al-Hamami, CEO of the Eastern Province Deaf Club, stated that the club, founded in 2001, goes beyond sports competitions to include cultural and social activities that refine members' skills, positively impacting their future professional performance.
Hamoud Al-Hamami
At the conclusion of the event, Abrar Al-Otaibi shared her personal experience, emphasizing that learning sign language began as a practical necessity to communicate with her deaf colleagues, and evolved into a passion that illuminated profound aspects of her humanity. She affirmed that sign language has an amazing ability to bring people together, and expressed her hope to expand her learning to discover the hidden talents that deaf individuals possess, talents waiting to be unleashed.
