Sharjah Museums Department opens its museums to the elderly and people with special needs

As part of a series of an educational programmes recently launched by the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) under the theme ‘Sharjah Museums Are Accessible for All’, the Community and Accessibility Service at SMD’s Department of Interpretation and Education organized a specially designed workshop for the elderly at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum. 

Held on 16 May, the workshop titled ‘Wearing Natural Ornaments’ aimed to enhance social communication with the elderly and show them how important they are to their community. 

Hosting the elderly at Sharjah Archaeology Museum comes as part of SMD and its affiliated departments and museums’ ongoing efforts to consolidate and facilitate the social communication between the museums and various community groups. 

The workshop aimed to educate its participants about life in the Stone Age and tools that were used by man during this period of human evolution. The participants viewed collections featuring ornaments and war tools on display at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum, and the information about this period of human evaluation was presented in straightforward yet interesting manner. 

As part of its specially designed programme for children with special needs and their families on the last Saturday of each month, the Community and Accessibility Services organized an amusement family day during which a workshop titled ‘ “Be the Captain” was held at the Al Mahatta Museum. 

Children with special needs and their families toured the museum’s galleries where they learnt about the different parts of an aircraft and the importance of flying. They also got a chance to board an airplane at the Museum to become familiar with its interior and learn more about its inner parts. The participating children ended their tour of the museum with making their own planes using various materials and tools. 

Commenting on the visit, Alya Burhaima, Director of SMD’s Department of Interpretation and Education, said: “The department’s interest in organizing special events for the elderly aims to teach younger generations about the importance of respecting older people and reminding them that elders are the ones who brought them into this world and they are indebted to them. 

Speaking on the last Saturday designated for the families of children with special needs, Ms Burhaima said, “It is a very important day for promoting awareness among community members about the importance of integrating people with special needs into society, and getting them engaged in community activities and interactions. 

She commented that it is only when the surrounding community adopts a civilized and positive perspective towards people with special needs,  that they can fully access their human rights. 

Ms Burhaima noted that the programmes and workshops were carefully designed after in-depth studies so as to help develop the skills of children with special needs. And that the programmes were presented by highly efficient and vastly experienced educational specialists. 

She invited families to register for this free workshop and praised the efforts and role of local media in supporting these programmes. 

This family workshop for the parents of those with special needs is the fifth of its kind since the start of 2012.  

Of note, the Interpretation and Education Department has, since the beginning of this year, started to organize educational workshops specifically designed for children with special needs from centres for children with special needs, such as the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, and the Al Mashaer Centre for Children with Special Needs, among others.