On Feb 2, YES alumna Yara Matar held a two day training session on American Sign Language (ASL) at the AMIDEAST office in Gaza for seven medical students. Yara learned ASL while on the YES program, and her goal now is to advocate for the needs of people living with disabilities back home in Gaza. To meet this goal, Yara decided that introducing her peers to ASL would be the best way to help raise awareness about how to support people living with disabilities. 

While presenting an ASL training session to a group of English Access Microscholarship alumni, one of the attendees was a medical student who though this session could benefit fellow peers. So, the group of medical students asked Yara if she could teach them ASL and focus on health-related terms. 

The training focused on learning the basics of ASL such as introductions, food, and medical vocabulary. Yara used a PowerPoint presentation and several games to engage her participants. By the end of the training, the participants could start small conversations and understand signs related to medical emergencies. The attendees found the training very helpful for their medical careers and expressed interest in having Yara hold another training session at their university. 

Yara shares, "Since I have returned to Gaza, I have dedicated my time and effort for advocacy of deaf people. By teaching ASL, and through this training, I can say that my desire to spread awareness about the importance of communication with deaf people has been met."

Yara Matar (YES 2018-2019, Gaza, hosted by AFS in Silver Spring, MD)