How Life in Morocco is Affected by Deafness

    

    When choosing what I wanted to study at UGA, I always knew that I wanted to study some form of biological science and complete the requirements to apply for medical school. I also knew that I wanted to add a minor to my studies that was completely unrelated to the field of STEM to help engage my non-science interests. As I scrolled through some of the minors offered, I came across ASL, or American Sign Language, and decided I would give it a try. I've always wanted to learn another language besides English, but have always struggled in learning verbal languages. So, why not try a language where I don't have to listen or speak? When I began my ASL 1 course, I was so glad that I had given it a try. Not only is the language itself so interesting and different, but learning about deaf culture opened my eyes to a whole new world existing right around me. One interesting thing I learned throughout my studies is that although they are listed under the ADA, almost all deaf people do not consider themselves to be disabled- they see themselves as fully capable of doing anything that a hearing person can do, and are content in their deafness. In fact, most deaf people will tell you that they have no desire to be hearing, and being a member of the deaf community is highly important to them. I wanted to start with this preface because I want to recognize the verbiage around deafness and disability.  

    Because I have learned so much and met so many members of the deaf community, I am always interested in looking for accessibility in different places I go. I have been curious throughout our time in Morocco about how accessible the country is for those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, but have been nervous to ask because it has been seemingly unrelated to any conversation. After looking into the topic online, it appears that there is a significant lack of accessibility in the school system for children who are deaf. It is extremely hard for these children to receive education because there is a lack of sign language professionals (Hespress, 2023).  The country does have their own official sign language MSL, or Moroccan Sign Language, which is based mostly on French and American sign languages. However, it is only used in three programs for the deaf and not throughout the country (African Sign Languages Resource Center, n.d.). The lack of access to complete and proper education has resulted in high illiteracy rates among the deaf community in Morocco (Hespress, 2023). 

    In the U.S., deaf children and their parents have many options for their education. There are many schools that are K-12 solely for deaf children. Some also choose to go to "mainstream" school, especially if they have cochlear implants or have some hearing, but some also attend mainstream school with an interpreter. The choices are always based on the preference of the child and parents. Additionally, America does not face the same shortage of sign language interpreters that Morocco does. Because of these factors, the deaf community in America does not face the same illiteracy rates that are seen in Morocco. Hopefully sometime in the future, Morocco will see an increase in use of their sign language outside of the three dedicated programs, and accessibility in life and education can be increased for the Moroccan deaf community.

References

African Sign Languages Resource Center. (n.d.). Morocco. African Sign Languages Resource Center. https://africansignlanguagesresourcecenter.com/morocco/

Hespress. (2023, May 23). Communication barriers hamper deaf students’ access to education in Morocco. Hespress English. https://en.hespress.com/71826-communication-barriers-hamper-deaf-students-access-to-education-in-morocco.html