فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Washington D.C.: Princess Lalla Asmaa was warmly welcomed to the National Deaf Museum by Roberta J. Cordano, President of Gallaudet University. Among the welcoming committee were two Moroccan students: Zahra Ketoun, a doctoral candidate, and Zakaria El Kantaoui, a first-year undergraduate student and deaf alumnus of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation.
The Princess was accompanied by an official delegation including the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Azzedine El Midaoui; the Minister of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and Family, Ms. Naima Ben Yahya; the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States, Mr. Youssef Amrani; the Ambassador, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal; and the Delegate President of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, Karim Essakalli.
A statement from the Lalla Asmaa Foundation indicated that this working visit is part of a strengthened partnership between the Foundation and Gallaudet University, symbolizing international collaboration in inclusive education and accessibility.
This partnership is a key step towards enabling Morocco to become the first country in Africa and the region to offer a university entirely dedicated to the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, providing a comprehensive educational pathway from early childhood to doctoral studies.
The statement added that Gallaudet University is unique globally for its educational model. It allows deaf and hard-of-hearing children to benefit from a complete educational journey, from early childhood to doctoral studies, with programs and specializations identical to those offered by leading universities worldwide. This model provides students with access to very high-level higher education, demonstrating that, contrary to often reductive perceptions in society, these children, like any other, can achieve excellence and pursue demanding training. Through this model, Gallaudet breaks stereotypes and barriers that limit the ambitions of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, offering them the opportunity to realize their potential and thrive in a quality educational environment.
Princess Lalla Asmaa wishes to see a similar initiative realized in Morocco, allowing young Moroccan deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to access a complete university pathway, thus providing equal opportunities for all, the statement emphasized.
University Classroom Visit:
The statement noted that the visit included observing a class of students in one of the university’s departments, allowing Her Royal Highness to discover the students’ academic projects and appreciate the quality of education provided at Gallaudet.
The warm welcome extended to Princess Lalla Asmaa by the entire university community marked a significant moment of the day, illustrating the importance of the commitment and determination of young deaf individuals in pursuing their studies.
Motion Light Lab: Innovation Serving Education:
Princess Lalla Asmaa visited the Motion Light Lab, a unique laboratory dedicated to creating bilingual visual books, supporting literacy development for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
Researchers and educators presented Her Royal Highness with their innovative methods, where the combination of sign language and visual aids supports children’s cognitive and linguistic development.
The Princess particularly commended the impact of these resources, highlighting the relevance of such initiatives for children in the Kingdom of Morocco, especially within the framework of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation’s work for the education of deaf children, the statement added.
Student Academic Center: A Model of Accessibility:
The Princess also visited Gallaudet’s Student Academic Center, a center that embodies the university’s philosophy: accessibility to education for all. This center offers infrastructure adapted to the specific needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, including tools like CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) and support technologies such as Video Relay Service Booths.
Observing these facilities, Princess Lalla Asmaa expressed her interest in developing a similar environment in Morocco, where deaf students could benefit from comprehensive support from primary school to university level.
A student ambassador presented a symbolic gift to Princess Lalla Asmaa in front of the university bookstore, demonstrating the spirit of welcome and integration that characterizes Gallaudet.
The delegation also visited the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, a center of excellence that offers educational programs adapted to deaf and hard-of-hearing children, from preschool to high school.
Her Royal Highness observed a teaching session with young deaf children, accompanied by their parents, and witnessed the educational approach based on early interaction and the acquisition of sign language. Educators presented the early intervention methodology that allows children to develop their language and social skills from a very young age.
Princess Lalla Asmaa was also particularly interested in the Family Learning approach, which trains parents to be active partners in their children’s linguistic and social development. This approach, focused on inclusion and active family participation, is a model that Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmaa wishes to promote in Morocco through the educational projects supported by the Lalla Asmaa Foundation.
Memorandum of Understanding:
The visit culminated in a signing ceremony at the National Deaf Museum, where a memorandum of understanding was signed by Mr. Karim Essakalli, Delegate President of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, and the President of Gallaudet University, Roberta J. Cordano. This agreement, the statement explained, marks the beginning of a strengthened collaboration between the Lalla Asmaa Foundation and Gallaudet University, with the aim of creating synergies in training, research, and the exchange of best practices to improve the inclusion of deaf individuals, both in Morocco and internationally, particularly in Africa.
The signing of this agreement represents a major step for Morocco, which, through this collaboration, could soon have the first university in Africa entirely dedicated to the education of deaf individuals, thus offering a complete academic pathway up to the doctoral level. This project will enable deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Morocco to access quality education, promoting their inclusion in society and offering them real prospects for the future.
Throughout this working visit, Princess Lalla Asmaa demonstrated a deep and constant commitment to improving the living conditions of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Morocco. Her vision is to meet the needs of the Kingdom’s children by providing them with an educational environment that respects their uniqueness while ensuring their full integration into society. This desire to evolve educational practices in Morocco finds particular resonance in her support for the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, an organization that works tirelessly to offer deaf children with hearing impairments in the Kingdom future prospects and access to quality resources.
The commitment of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmaa is reflected in her desire to share the progress of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation internationally, starting with Africa, where the challenges in inclusive education are still numerous. Her active participation in the signing of this partnership with Gallaudet University is a clear example of her personal involvement and her attentiveness to the needs of the Kingdom’s children.
“This visit, marked by fruitful exchanges and strengthened collaboration between the Lalla Asmaa Foundation and Gallaudet University, testifies to the unwavering commitment of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmaa to the development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, reflecting the Kingdom’s values of solidarity and social justice, championed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him,” concluded the Foundation’s statement.
