Her Excellency Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family

In line with digitizing sign language, “Social Development” launches Sokoon application

The Ministry of Social Development and Family launched the Sokoon application to digitize Sign Language in cooperation with the Mada Center and funded by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam).

The Sokoon application helps disabled people to master Sign Language interactively and smoothly, creating a social network that connects deaf and mute people with their society.

The application facilitated communication for this group in Qatar and the Arab world since Arabic words are unified. Mada Center approved the application and its accessibility to deaf and mute people.

The app is easy to use and contains educational and entertaining content designed through innovative technological techniques. It also has a wide range of educational activities and resources covering various aspects of Arabic Sign Language and its unification among the countries of the Arab region.

It builds bridges of knowledge for people with hearing disabilities, ensuring their roles in their society. Within the framework of the State of Qatar's initiative to digitize the Unified Arabic Sign Dictionary, the Sokoon application was developed and represented by the Ministry of Social Development and Family in cooperation with the League of Arab States, which aims to enhance inclusiveness and digital access for deaf people in the Arab world.

It is noteworthy that the Supreme Family Council credited the State of Qatar with unifying the Arabic sign language and issuing the Unified Arabic Sign Dictionary in 2007. 

The Sokoon App translates written and spoken sentences into sign language via three-dimensional characters, facilitating communication with the deaf community without the speaker needing to know Sign Language in a fun and easy way. Thus, the Sokoon application will be a very effective tool for learning sign language for other people.

The beginning on the Sokoon application was an emerging idea to raise community awareness about sign language, and from there, the idea developed into an electronic portal aiming to serve the deaf and mute group in a certain way, but the greater goal is to spread the culture of sign language to build bridges of knowledge with this group.

The application won the Mada Innovation Award and is available for free in Android and Apple's iOS systems. It contains 2637 words and 485 sentences with 20 classifications in all aspects and fields. People are unrestricted to one language since the app is multiple languages of 3.

Her Excellency Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family, stated that work is underway to complete the project in the second phase to update the dictionary so that it contains 15,000 Arabic sentences to ensure the greatest possible benefit. She pointed out that this app contributes to service various segments of society and provides an easy-to-use app through which they can learn the Sign Language approved in the State of Qatar and also contributes to spreading it to the Arab world and the countries of Europe and America.

It is worth noting that the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund, since its establishment in 2010, has laid the foundation for many vital projects and initiatives in the social, sports and cultural fields considered essential in achieving community development.


More News

**MSDF Participates in a Panel on Policies and Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities**
MSDF Participates in a Panel on Policies and Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities

The Ministry of Social Development and Family, represented by the Community Care Department, participated in a panel discussion organized by Sidra Medicine in collaboration with Msheireb Museums titled "Different Abilities, Shared Future: Disability and Success." The Ministry was represented by Ms. Muna Ibrahim Al-Raisi, an expert in elderly and disability studies, during a dialogue session that brought together a distinguished group of speakers from various fields, including medicine, psychology, sociology, and information technology.

Read more
MSDF Down Syndrome Amidst Crises: Adaptation, Protection, and Family Support
MSDF... Down Syndrome Amidst Crises: Adaptation, Protection, and Family Support

The Ministry of Social Development and Family, represented by the Department of Community Care, organized a virtual awareness lecture titled "Down Syndrome Amidst Crises: Adaptation, Protection, and Family Support." This initiative is part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to enhance community awareness and provide specialized support for families of individuals with Down syndrome, particularly in light of the evolving challenges and circumstances that may affect the psychological and social stability of this group and their families.

Read more
MSDF Organizes Workshop on Code of Conduct and Integrity for Public Officials
MSDF Organizes Workshop on Code of Conduct and Integrity for Public Officials

MSDF Organizes Workshop on Code of Conduct and Integrity for Public Officials

Read more
MSDF & DIFI, a member of Qatar Foundation, Highlight Parenting Skills and Family Support in Qatar Family Day Dialogue
MSDF & DIFI, a member of Qatar Foundation, Highlight Parenting Skills and Family Support in Qatar Family Day Dialogue

As part of Qatar Family Day celebrations, the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), in collaboration with Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation, hosted a panel discussion at AlHazm’s Galleria titled “Parenting and Contemporary Challenges: From Awareness to Practice.”

Read more