Ahead of Tuesday meetings in Knesset addressing solutions for Israel’s deaf population, MKs film video of them ‘singing’ in sign language.
By Tova Dvorin, Arutz Sheva Staff
First Publish: 11/19/2013, 1:42 AM
Arutz Sheva
www.IsraelNationalNews.com
A video has surfaced of MKs “singing” in sign language, in a project in solidarity with Israeli organizations for the deaf and hard of hearing.
A day of solidarity with organizations that advocate for the deaf will take place in the Knesset Tuesday, a result of an initiative by MK Shuli Muallem Refaeli (Bayit Yehudi/Jewish Home) and Deputy Minister of Education MK Avi Wortzman.
Discussions will be held in committees and before the entire plenum, in the special event to take place in the Knesset auditorium to mark 20 years since the establishment of the Institute for the Advancement of the Deaf. There will also be a special video screening.
“This is a day for us to pay attention and to place on our agenda the difficulties of deaf and hearing-challenged Israelis,” MK Muallem Refaeli said. “I hope by the end of the day that we will have [enacted laws to] advance educational initiatives for the deaf from preschool to the workplace and beyond, and help them integrate with wider Israeli society.”
MK Wortzman added, “The great importance of the day is to raise awareness among parents, teachers, and medical providers. Early diagnosis and treatment with the hard-of-hearing child enables the child to adapt more easily within the school environment and within society at large, and will prevent many of the hardships that deafness can cause, G-d forbid.”
“As Deputy Minister of Education, I promise to assist in any way possible to raise awareness among parents and professionals, and to help ease the hardships hard-of-hearing Israelis face in various areas of life,” he continued.
Play video – www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PvT8vssaVO8
Source: www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/174170#.Uptup-KwG-8
