IRAP, the Lebanese Institute of Auditory-Phonetic Rehabilitation, offers specialized educational training for children with hearing impairments or learning difficulties with the goal of promoting their social and professional integration.
The institute is supported by a multidisciplinary team of teachers, speech therapists, psychomotricians… and the entire IRAP community that has maintained a family spirit since its founding in 1960. All the staff is trained in providing an inclusive learning environment that encourages children to develop their skills and abilities, and to overcome the challenges associated with their differences.
Specialized education at IRAP spans from early childhood to the Brevet Certificate (Middle School Diploma). The sign language, the Montessori method, and other active learning techniques help children discover their abilities and reach their full potential.
In addition to academic support, IRAP provides a range of extracurricular activities designed to help students develop their social skills and self-confidence. These include dancing, singing, arts and crafts, and other activities that allow children to interact with their peers in a safe and supportive environment.
Along the way, IRAP caters to the unique needs of children with hearing impairments or learning difficulties, ensuring that they receive the same opportunities for education and personal growth as their peers. When they reach adulthood, they have the option to participate in IRAP’s inclusive workshops, or enter the general labor market, thus extending IRAP’s mission beyond the institute’s walls.
Though IRAP focuses on providing quality education and individualized support to children with special needs, its vision goes beyond mere education. It promotes a family spirit, where individuals serve one another, for a more equitable, harmonious and brotherly society.
Mournfully, under the current economic and financial crisis in Lebanon, many parents have been forced to reduce their children’s access to canteen meals.
ALAM recognized the need and offered financial support to provide the entire IRAP community with daily lunches for six months, as well as raw materials for the institute’s inclusive cooking workshops.
IRAP is one of the few institutes in Lebanon that provide a specialized educational training for children with hearing impairments or learning difficulties. In a country where citizens can barely make their voices heard due to the corruption normalized by the state governors, IRAP is trying to bring out loud the voice of the voiceless and demonstrate that being nonverbal is not a handicap but rather a grace when properly assisted. People with different abilities are valuable members of our society as they bring unique strengths and perspectives to the table. In Lebanon, hearing impairment may even be a means for living in peace, without hearing the voice of corruption, and all the noise pollution from the electric generators nowadays. Given the extended power outages and worsening situation in the country, IRAP is growing increasingly concerned about the continuity of its work. The institute is in urgent need of a renewable energy structure guaranteeing the proper functioning and continuity of the house for years to come. It is of utmost importance to support such institutes and ensure that every person with special needs is being taken care of and given his chance at life.
