[Workshop] Empowering Inclusitivity: Dental Health Education through Sign Language

Workshop: Empowering Inclusivity: Dental Health Education through Sign Language

Background: Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga has earned recognition from the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) for its pioneering efforts in dental health education using sign language for the deaf community. Building on this success, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga is proud to introduce a groundbreaking workshop titled "Empowering Inclusivity: Dental Health Education through Sign Language.

Activities: The event is structured around several engaging activities designed to enhance understanding and improve practical use of sign language among the participants. The first activity is deaf awareness, where the participants will learn about the deaf community's culture, experiences, and the importance of effective communication. The second activity is introduction to sign language, where the participants will be introduced to the basic of sign language alphabet and numbers. Then, they will progress to learn about self-introduction (how to introduce themselves in sign language), everyday conversations (common words and sentences used in daily life in sign language), time concepts (using sign language to show time), dental health education (using sign language to deliver basic dental health education: brushing time, brushing techniques, preventing tooth decay, visiting a dentist, and clean and healthy living behaviours).

Methods: The participants will be taught by a professional sign language interpreter. Then they will be divided into groups to enhance learning and interaction. Each group will be supported by a facilitator. To culminate the workshop, the participants will have a chance to use their newly acquired sign language skills to deliver dental health education to the deaf community. This practical activities not only reinforces their learning but also supports the deaf community with giving access to dental health education.

Participants: This workshop is open for participants with both health- and non-health-related majors. However, the participants are limited to 25 participants to ensure an optimal and intensive training. Therefore, due to the limited availability of the seats, early registration is strongly recommended.

Benefits: Through this workshop, the participants may gain valuable skills and contribute positively to the well-being of the deaf community.