A six-month course entitled “The Internet: equal opportunities of communication for the deaf” started on November 2 with the initiative of the ”Journalists For the Future” NGO.

A six-month course entitled “The Internet: equal opportunities of communication for the deaf” started on November 2 with the initiative of the ”Journalists For the Future” NGO. The project aims at promoting integration of the hearing impaired in the society. During the studies the participants will acquire knowledge in journalism and photography as well as skills in using the Internet.

According to the project director Suren Deheryan the project tends to provide equal conditions for the deaf in wide circles of society. “With the help of the project participants we wish to create a new and stable bridge of communication between the hearing impaired and those who do not understand the language of gestures. And today there is such an opportunity due to the new media technologies. If the deaf doesn’t speak, it doesn’t mean that s/he has nothing to say. S/he can write, take a photo and send his/her voice through the Internet which is equal to speaking,’’ says Deheryan.

The contact between the 12 participants and trainers is provided by gestures’ interpreter. During the first lesson the shine in the participants’ “hearing eyes” evidently showed their enthusiasm towards the course. One of the participants, 21-year-old Anush Davtyan, is already imagining herself as a journalist. “I want to take an interview,’’ gestures Anush not concealing her enthusiasm.

For the first time in Armenia a website the content of which will be updated by the deaf is being created as part of this project. It will be not only about and for the hearing impaired but for everyone. Also special meetings will be organized with the officials responsible for the issues of the disabled and the representatives of social and business sectors. Articles and photos on the results of the project will be posted on the above mentioned site. The project perspective goal is to support the best participants to cooperate with local media outlets to become journalists covering the issues and events of the deaf community.

The project is realized with the support of the US Embassy and Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation. Technical and area support to the project is provided by Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov.