GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A group of hearing-impaired female students sits at one of the cafeteria tables at the Islamic University in Gaza to discuss their engineering drawings after one of the lectures offered as part of the creative technology diploma designed for hearing-impaired students. The only difference between these students and the others at the university is that they express their points of view by moving their fingers and hands. They are part of the first batch of hearing-impaired students pursuing university education in the besieged Gaza Strip.

When I met with some of the deaf students, Israa Sersawi was the only one who spoke a few words welcoming me. Hearing disability comes in various degrees. While I sat with them, the conversation was carried out in sign language and in words that I barely understood. I made a few signs, and Israa wrote down the words she understood, but we could not maintain the conversation for long. One of the teachers agreed to help by translating for us.

Israa told Al-Monitor, “My father enrolled me at university to obtain a diploma in creative technology. At first I was afraid. I knew nothing about university life, but the anxiety and stress quickly faded, and I am now happy to be a university student.”

Hassan al-Amirin, deaf programs coordinator at the Assistive Technology Center for People with Disabilities at the Islamic University, told Al-Monitor, “After one year of planning, the Continuing Education Deanship created a special diploma for people with hearing disabilities for the first time in Palestine. A hundred and twenty male and female senior high school students started registering in December 2014 to obtain the diploma. The academic year started in March 2015, following admissions interviews and teacher training.”