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.