Sign language Interpreter (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra)

Since the establishment of the union of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, education has received the utmost attention of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on him, and his founding brothers. They believed that education was the cornerstone of building an enabled community that could keep pace with the advancements. Over the past decades, the wise leadership of the country was keen on building an educational system that matched its counterparts in the advanced nations. It harnessed for this purpose all the required capabilities, to achieve the country's agenda and national vision in this regard. Sincere efforts have also been made to develop education and adopt the best systems that achieve high-quality education outputs, to achieve the future visions and aspirations of the wise leadership.

Since investing in human capital is the main objective, the UAE has been keen on establishing the Ministry of Education and creating the appropriate environment to build pioneering Emirati schools, in terms of standards, form, and content they provide. It also made sure that such schools provided high-quality educational environment and owned the most technically advanced tools to be able to graduate generations that could pursue their university education confidently in higher education institutions to fulfil the requirements of labour market. 

The MOE has also provided a smart learning system and high-quality digital platforms, side by side with the continuous development of school curriculums, according to national learning standards, assessment policy that is based on assessing for learning, and highest quality standards that match the best international practices. Various learning tracks, moreover, have been provided to support the capabilities and skills of students and achieve the country's strategy of encouraging the culture of creativity and innovation through providing the students with the skills of the 21st century and motivating them to have new ideas that relate to the reality they live in and foresee the future. This will eventually help in finding radical, sustainable solutions to the major issues, improving competitiveness, and supporting smart government in its attempts to keep pace with global advancements, advance education, and push it to broad horizons of excellence, leadership, and competitiveness.

The Sign Language interpreter facilitates communication between deaf or hearing loss and normal individuals by accurately and clearly conveying information, ideas, and feelings between sign language and spoken or written language in all academic subjects. They also work to support deaf and hearing loss students within the school environment, ensuring their fair and equitable access to educational content, teacher instructions, classroom discussions, activities, and events, in accordance with the educational policies, regulations, and systems in place in the country, and to raise the student's level to meet international standards.

Main Job Duties & Responsibilities:

•    Interpret the teacher’s speech and students’ communication into sign language and vice versa .
•    Facilitate communication between the student , teachers , and peers.
•    Accurately and impartially convey educational information without adding, omitting , or altering content.
•    Use appropriate educational terminology and vocabulary according to the student’s level.
•    Support the students’ participation in classroom activities and social interactions. 
•    Maintain confidentially and respect the student’s privacy.
•    Consider individual differences and the student’s level of sing language proficiency .
•    Collaborate with special education teams, teachers, and parents when needed.
•    Ensure that deaf and hearing loss students have equitable access to educational content and communication.
•    Maintaining continuous communication with deaf students  possessing a broad understanding of their community and culture, and adhering to the ethics of a sign language interpreter.
•     Communicating with the deaf community and sign language interpreters to agree upon new signs that incorporate modern terminology in all fields.
•     Working collaboratively with other professionals to facilitate communication between deaf individuals and the wider community, creating a bridge between deaf people and the hearing community.
•    Implementing training tasks and qualifying community members to learn sign language.
•     Performing any other tasks assigned by the direct supervisor.

Employment Requirements for Emirati and Non-Emirati Citizens:

Skills:
• Proficiency in sign language (understanding, expression, and interpretation).
• Ability to interpret simultaneously between sign language and spoken language.
• Strong and clear communication skills.
• Quick comprehension, focus, and sustained attention.
• Accuracy in conveying information without addition, omission, or distortion.
• Ability to handle academic and specialized terminology.
• Skills in interacting with deaf and hearing  loss students of all ages and abilities.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Flexibility and the ability to handle unexpected situations.
• Correct use of facial expressions and body language, as they are an important part of sign language.

Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Sign Language, Translation, or Special Education.
Master's degree in Special Education.
Diploma in Special Education.

Additionally:
Professional certification or accreditation in sign language and translation from a recognized institution.
Proficiency in the UAE's official sign language. Good command of Arabic; proficiency in English is preferred depending on the school.

Experience:

- At least 1-3 years of experience in sign language interpretation/translation.
- Experience in educational settings and schools, especially with deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
- Experience translating lessons, discussions, tests, and school activities.
- Experience with educational and academic terminology.
Age: Not exceeding 55 years.
- Fluency in Arabic and English (reading, writing, and speaking).