The delegation was received by Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Khayat, Vice President for Academic Affairs, along with key university representatives, including Mr. Samer Aqrouq, Director of the Students with Disabilities Care Office; Dr. Malik Alqub, Director of the Department of Applied Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Ms. Samar Al-Khalidi from the Audiology and Speech Program; Ms. Samia Balalem, a specialist in sign language education; and Ms. Yamamah Dawoud from the Public Relations Department.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Khayyat emphasized the university’s commitment to supporting all sectors of society, including people with disabilities. He highlighted the university's ongoing academic support for students with hearing disabilities, its efforts to raise community awareness, and its dedication to cooperation with the union in areas of scientific research, training, and advocacy for disability rights and inclusion.

Mr. Nazzal discussed the challenges faced by individuals with hearing disabilities in Palestine and acknowledged the progress made in society to increase accessibility and inclusion. He emphasized the need for a unified Palestinian sign language and highlighted the union’s achievements, such as merging eight associations into the current union and collaborating with the Supreme Judicial Council to integrate sign language into court proceedings.

The discussion also covered the development of a Palestinian sign language dictionary, an ongoing project with the Ministry of Health to prepare specialized medical sign language terms, and the union’s efforts to introduce legal terminology in sign language.

Mr. Aqrouq provided an overview of the services offered by the Students with Disabilities Care Office, noting that the university currently supports 28 students with hearing disabilities. These students benefit from scholarships, accommodations, medical hearing aids, and full participation in university activities. He also noted the university’s broader support for 347 students with various disabilities, including the provision of study materials in Braille and lecture recording for students with visual impairments.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to organize an educational lecture for medical and special education students on the importance of sign language, as well as a training course for An-Najah National University Hospital staff to improve their ability to assist deaf patients. Both parties expressed a commitment to future collaborations, including the development of a specialized dictionary and sign language awareness activities for students in medical and humanities programs.

This initiative underscores An-Najah National University’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity and accessibility for students with disabilities, fostering a supportive and accessible learning environment.