Egypt's Ministry of Awqaf trains women preachers in sign language to open mosques to Deaf worshippers

Egypt's Ministry of Awqaf (Religious Endowments), working with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, is running a course at the Awqaf International Academy to prepare women preachers to include people with disabilities and to communicate with Deaf people in sign language. Supervised by Fatma Antar, assistant minister for women preachers, the training covers disability rights under Egypt's constitution, Law 10 of 2018 and the UN disability convention, with a focus on hearing disability. It includes hands-on practice in basic and religious sign vocabulary and simple sentences, and teaches trainees to assess how accessible mosques are and what changes are needed so Deaf people can take part in religious activities.