Health information is often inaccessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals in many parts of the world. In Lebanon, efforts to integrate sign language interpretation and captioning into health media infrastructure are complicated by economic and cultural factors and the lack of a unified Lebanese Sign Language (SL). 

Viewed through the lens of positive peacebuilding, the gap in accommodations for DHH individuals is a form of structural violence. An estimated 8,000 people are affected in Lebanon, a country of only a few million people. The consequence is limits to health knowledge and literacy that in turn undermines positive health behaviors and outcomes. The feeling of being less empowered to make decisions about personal and family healthcare fuels frustration and perpetuates low trust in institutions.  

I am interested in the intersection of medicine and peacebuilding. As a doctor and member of a team at Lebanese American University (LAU), I was involved in a focus group study and extensive literature review of healthcare challenges facing DHH individuals in Lebanon, as well as identification of potential solutions. The result was a strategic proposal for a digital platform offering accessibility to DHH individuals through a bank of 300 videos on 50 health topics in six forms of Lebanese SL. Each 10-minute video will feature a physician explaining a health topic, a SL interpreter, and Arabic captioning. This involves agreements from physicians, interpreters, and post-production editing.

My participation in the Bridges to New Horizons program was instrumental in transforming this health awareness initiative into a peacebuilding project. We used the Eight Pillars of Peace framework from the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) to focus the project’s purpose on free flow of healthcare information and a Spiral Dynamics/ValueMath model to help with consideration of community needs and values. Required use of project management tools in the Bridges to New Horizons program helped define priorities, clarify outreach to key stakeholders and potential partners, and identify adaptations that would be needed based on risk scenarios. The trauma healing perspective of the program emphasized the critical need for a community-centered approach.

Mindful partner selection was key: for instance, physicians from the LAU Medical Center and interpreters from nonprofit organizations (NGOs) that support and advocate for DHH individuals. In essence, the project served as a bridge between representatives of the healthcare community and the DHH community. Within a few months, partnerships were established with LAU, IRAP, and the Lebanon Deaf Foundation. Pilot videos received positive feedback.

We aim to continue expanding our network of partner NGOs to ensure wider channels for outreach and dissemination. As a future vision, we aim to engage other Departments at LAU, Institut de Reeducation Audio-Phonetique (IRAP), and the Lebanese Federation of the Deaf (LFD) to shape decisions on healthcare information video content, translation, and how best to raise awareness among students and professionals involved in creating health-related media.

What is on the horizon? There is much to do to expand the pilot and take steps toward national availability. But there is already thought being given to how this approach might serve as a model for normalizing inclusivity in healthcare – for instance, for members of the blind and sight-impaired community. The essential question for us all is: “How do we support enhancement to public service infrastructures in ways that foster a culture of tolerance, acceptance, and cohesion?”