Deaf People’s Education and Employment Experiences in Saudi Arabia: An Islamic Social Model Perspective

This research investigates the barriers faced by deaf people before and after their employment in Saudi Arabia. 22 interviews have been carried out with those from diverse social and educational backgrounds. Traditionally, disability research studies have concentrated on disabled individuals as sick, and in need of care. This thesis is unique in that it has applied the Islamic social model of disability to explain the barriers encountered by deaf people in Saudi Arabia – this model is rarely used by other disability researchers in Saudi Arabia. This Islamic model is considered alongside the social model of disability and the rights-based approach, using them to inform the findings, solutions and recommendations related to the challenges outlined. The research has found that deaf people face educational barriers in terms of segregated and isolated classrooms and deaf-segregated schools. Deaf people are not mainstreamed in universities due to the inaccessibility of the environment and have additional prerequisites before they are offered places within these establishments. The absence of reasonable accommodation also operates within the employment sphere, and this has succeeded in weakening communication between employers and deaf people, providing further barriers. This study has also considered the intersectionality between gender and disability, and in particular the barriers facing deaf women face when accessing employment, such as stigmatization related to their gender. The findings show a lack of gender disparity in terms of education, as both men and women face similar issues and barriers; however, it is within employment that these differences are presented. Women are subjected to different work conditions regardless of their skills and qualifications, and furthermore are also paid less than their non-disabled counterparts. This research has provided recommendations which will support deaf people’s journey through education and into employment.