Finding your identity and building self-esteem is a building block for being human. The power of knowing who you are can lead to a more fulfilling life. Some people find their identity through religion, hobbies, or culture. Others can see it through the clothes they wear or how they choose to paint their faces. Fashion is a unique outlet for people to unleash their inner creativity. The idea of fashion, dressing, and beauty varies from culture to culture. 

According to the Voice of Fashion, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has the highest per capita spent on fashion, Dubai is also quickly rising as a fashion capital of the world. Combining traditional Middle Eastern beauty practices and international higher-end brands built the UAE’s beauty scene. The point of the beauty and fashion industry in Dubai is to represent a good beauty routine as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

Unique Challenges and Opportunities for the Deaf Community in the UAE

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The attitude towards Deaf people in the UAE is the same as the attitude towards the disabled community. This is a lack of opportunities because of the negative sentiment towards the Deaf. It’s especially a bias in the job sector where local Deaf people face obstacles to work. Other challenges include a lack of educational, healthcare, and employment opportunities due to the language barrier, and not many interpreters working in the country. 

Exploring the world of fashion and beauty for the deaf community in the United Arab Emirates, let’s delve into how accessible it is for the Deaf community to embrace their identity through clothing and makeup.

Emirati Deaf Community

The Ministry of Community Development estimates over 3,000 Deaf people in the UAE. Interestingly, the United Arab Emirates uses a unified sign language called “لغة الإشارة الإماراتية” (Lughat al-Ishārah al-Imārātīyah). Emirati Sign Language was developed by the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination the first deaf sign language for the UAE dialect, and a unified reference language for those with hearing disabilities in the UAE. Additionally, there is a Deaf Association in the UAE that covers all aspects of Deaf life including employment, health, and travel.

Fashion Accessibility for the Deaf Community

Photo by Brand & Palms

There are creative ways to make fashion shows and events adaptable to the Deaf audience. It’s just a matter of awareness and general interest in making them more inclusive. Fashion shows and events like Fashion Week in major cities like Dubai or Paris open the fashion world to many people. But inclusivity is key for the Deaf community. 

Visual and Tactile Fashion Experiences

Suggestions for Inclusive clothing designs and features

Deaf culture is a vibrant tapestry of unique traditions and a strong sense of identity. Fashion, however, provides another outlet to express that cultural identity. It’s one of the most powerful tools for self-expression. For the Deaf, fashion can serve as a means beyond an aesthetic. It’s not solely about the label, the fabric, or design, it’s a means to show who they are as a minority community. 

In the UAE, there are Deaf owned businesses and fashion designers, who seek to make this industry more inclusive. Giedrius and Javed Latif are some Deaf people making their way in fashion. Latif owns businesses in Dubai and Mumbai that specialize in couture, meanwhile, Giedrius is a fashion designer boasting 20 years of experience in the UAE’s fashion scene. In addition, he has 5 Deaf tailors working alongside him. This is just one example of new possibilities for the Deaf in the fashion and beauty industry. 

There’s always room for more change and progress. What are some of the ways to achieve this?

The fashion world revolves around exclusive events and showcases for the audience. In the UAE, there could be more efforts toward inclusiveness for Deaf fashionistas or anyone in the industry. One of the ways is to design clothes with sign language in mind. Soft and moveable fabric can eliminate the hindrance of using language. This also includes avoiding bold or high necklines that distract from facial expressions. Adding pockets on clothing items is also an added convenience for the Deaf who need to carry assistive technology or other things. \ 

Another important aspect of the fashion world is innovation to make events more inclusive. Consider using technology to communicate and enhance the experience for the Deaf audience. There’s also the concept of Adaptive Fashion Week, which gives people who are Deaf or have other disabilities representation. They get to be part of an inclusive event with some of the biggest brand names. This is the exact example of true representation. In addition, these events often feature clothing adapted for people with disabilities. 

Cultural and Traditional Influences

Accessories that Build Confidence

Combine modern garments with traditional influences, especially in a part of the world with an extraordinary ancient civilization. That’s exactly what Hessa Al Mandoos, a 37-year-old Emirtati is doing with her jewelry business. She is an entrepreneur after attending a jewelry workshop and realizing her love for the craft. The workshop, the Ministry of Community Development’s Mashagel project was part of an initiative to raise awareness for the Emirati Deaf community. Its focus was facilitating employment opportunities and inspiring the Deaf to enter the workforce by building the confidence to prepare for employment.

Hessa now sells her bracelets in stores and at the convenience store. Her business is called “Jasmine Bracelets,” inspired by the intricate Jasmine flower pattern of the bracelets. Hessa uses pearl beads to create a unique and distinctive design for her jewelry brand. She started this project to show the Deaf Emirati community that nothing should hold them back, not even their disability, from excelling in life and making their goals a reality.

Celebrating diversity and inclusivity in Fashion and Beauty Representations

Although the UAE is among the countries that have made progress in the lives of the Deaf community, there is still work to do in the fashion and beauty industry. There’s a lack of representation of cosmetics, Deaf creators, and only a few designers to make Deaf culture known in the massive industry. In reality, there are many ways to make this happen and give Emirati Deaf people a foot in the door. There are also ways to make fashion and beauty events more Deaf friendly to allow equal participation. With a billion-dollar industry putting the UAE on the map, don’t you think it’s time to become more inclusive in this form of expression? Make Deaf Emiratis heard. 

Learn more about Deaf representation in other industries by visiting https://www.unspokenasl.com/

Thumbnail Photo Credit to: Photo by Ivan Siarbolin