Cambridge Festival: Speaker Spotlight

Dr Itab Shuayb is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Engineering Design Centre at the University of Cambridge. She is also a formal professor in inclusive design at the American University of Beirut and the Director for the Disability Hub - Centre for Lebanese Studies.

An inclusive design specialist, access consultant and activist. She has led a number of architecture projects and awareness campaigns in Lebanon focusing on improving accessibility and promoting inclusive environments for diverse users. Itab is an academic, researcher and advocate for inclusive design, accessibility and disability rights.

Dr Shuayb will be speaking at Voice Notes from Palestine, an evocative storytelling event, shown through the lens of students with disabilities, living with the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

How can technology be harnessed to support students with disabilities in Gaza, especially when facing daily bombardments and ongoing conflict?

Students with disabilities in Gaza who managed to access online learning to complete their education faced numerous barriers that hindered their full participation. The primary challenge was the lack of reliable electricity and power sources, including power banks, internet packages, and e-SIMs, as well as frequent internet disruptions. Many students with disabilities relied on solar power to charge their mobile devices and internet routers for online learning. However, not all could afford the high costs of installing solar panels or purchasing solar batteries, preventing them from joining online classes or attending full sessions. Moreover, solar power is only effective when there is sufficient sunlight, making it unreliable during winter or at night.

Another major barrier was the frequent displacement of students with disabilities and their families from one tent or location to another, which disrupted their stability, concentration, and ability to secure a consistent internet connection. As a result, many had to walk long distances to find a stable internet signal to access online learning. Students with mobility impairments faced additional challenges, as the shortage of wheelchairs or walking aids made it difficult for them to move to locations with better connectivity, leaving them unable to join online learning.

Students with hearing impairments also encountered difficulties due to the lack of sign language interpreters and transcripts or closed captions for recorded online sessions. Other students with disabilities were unable to participate in online lessons because their displacement areas were overcrowded, making it difficult for them to concentrate or keep up with their studies.

Furthermore, the shortage of e-SIMS, internet data packages, smart mobile devices, tablets, and laptops with accessibility features significantly impacted their ability to learn. Many of these devices were damaged due to bombardment and the complete destruction of students’ homes and buildings. Additionally, the ongoing siege has left no functioning market for replacements, and the high cost of repairs further prevented students with disabilities in Gaza from obtaining or fixing these essential tools.

To overcome these barriers, providing students with accessible devices, smart mobile phones, e-SIMs, internet data packages, and power banks would enhance their access to online learning. Another alternative is to implement low-tech solutions, such as radio-based recordings and SMS-based learning for those without internet access, as well as audio messages for individuals with visual impairments and written SMS messages for those with hearing impairments.

Another viable approach is the use of pre-loaded educational content that can be accessed without an internet connection. Additionally, establishing community-based technology spaces with safe and reliable access could help ensure that students continue their education despite these challenges.

With over 250,000 views, Voice Notes from Palestine has reached a global audience. What role do you believe documentaries like this can play in shifting international policies on disability rights in conflict zones?

Documentaries such as Voice Notes from Palestine, which focus on persons with disabilities, are crucial in shedding light on the urgent need for the implementation of international laws, particularly Article 11 and Article 25 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). These articles mandate the protection, safety, and healthcare of persons with disabilities, especially in situations of risk, including armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and natural disasters. By documenting these realities, such films serve as powerful advocacy tools, urging the global community to uphold and enforce the rights of persons with disabilities in crisis situations.

This documentary captures the daily struggles, life-threatening conditions, and unsafe environments that students with disabilities in Gaza have endured over the past 15 months due to the continuous Israeli bombardment of their neighborhoods, universities, residential buildings, and even displacement areas where these students sought refuge.

Documenting these harsh realities is essential for advocating the enforcement of international laws, particularly the UN CRPD. It also serves as a means to hold the occupying power accountable for such atrocities and push for compliance with international laws designed to protect civilians and vulnerable groups, including children, older people, and persons with disabilities.  

What drew you to this project as an associate producer, and how has working on this film reshaped your understanding of the intersection between education, disability, and war?

Since 2020, I have served as one of the Co-Investigators for the Disability Under Siege Network Plus, a multidisciplinary project dedicated to transforming education for children with disabilities in conflict-affected regions, specifically Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank), Lebanon, and Jordan. Funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and managed by the University of Birmingham, the Network Plus project runs from 2020 to 2025 and aims to establish equitable partnerships between the Global South and the Global North. It fosters collaboration among universities, NGOs, educators, artists, grassroots activists, and—most importantly—people with disabilities in these regions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, each Co-Investigator conducted a study examining the impact of the pandemic on students with disabilities and healthcare services in their respective regions, with my research focusing specifically on Lebanon and Jordan. Following this, we organised multiple activities and webinars to share our findings and engage in discussions on various disability-focused projects, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the network.

Through this network, I had the opportunity to collaborate on documenting the lived conditions of people with disabilities in Gaza during the Israeli aggression. As one of the Associate Producers, my primary focus was ensuring that the film is inclusive and accessible, a task that aligns with my expertise in inclusive design. My goal was to make the film accessible to both Arabic- and English-speaking audiences, producing two versions (English and Arabic) with the following accessibility features: international and Arabic sign language interpretation, English and Arabic closed captions, and English and Arabic audio descriptions.

Our team sought to challenge and reshape the understanding of the intersections between the right to education for all (with and without disabilities), the right to access information (such as inclusive audiovisual content and films), and the fundamental rights to safety, security, and healthcare for persons with disabilities in war zones.

We hope this film serves as a powerful advocacy tool for the rights of people with disabilities in Palestine, ensuring they have equal opportunities to complete their education and contribute to the development of their communities.

Students with disabilities in Gaza are defying incredible odds. What are the biggest barriers they face in continuing their education under constant bombardment, and how do they manage to push through?

Students with disabilities in Gaza continue to face overwhelming barriers in their pursuit of education. Many have lost their educational devices, including laptops equipped with essential accessibility features such as screen readers, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text software—severely limiting their ability to access information and continue learning.

Others had secured scholarships to study abroad in Europe and the UK for postgraduate degrees but were unable to travel due to the ongoing border closures and siege. One visually impaired student could not complete her studies as she urgently requires a kidney transplant, remains trapped in Gaza, unable to leave for critical medical treatment due to the war and blockade.

Many of the students featured in our film are high achievers who aspire to pursue postgraduate education abroad. However, they face numerous obstacles, including the loss of essential documents such as school and university certificates and transcripts. Many also need to improve their English proficiency but cannot attend language centers, as these institutions are no longer operational. Additionally, students are unable to register for English proficiency tests like TOEFL or IELTS due to the closure of test centres and the high cost of the exams—costs that have become unaffordable under the current crisis.

For those who wish to continue their postgraduate studies in Arabic-speaking countries, another challenge arises: a severe lack of programs offered in Arabic, leaving them with limited options for academic advancement.

The barriers preventing students with disabilities in Gaza from pursuing their education are immense and multifaceted. By shedding light on these challenges, we hope that educational institutions in Gaza will receive the resources and tools necessary to offer their students inclusive education. Furthermore, for students with disabilities seeking to continue their postgraduate studies abroad, we urge educational institutions in Europe and the Arab world to take action by providing scholarships and programmes tailored to their needs.

The film highlights the intersection of disability and conflict. What more needs to be done to ensure disabled individuals in Gaza—and other conflict zones—receive the international support they desperately need?

Article 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) mandates that State Parties take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities during emergencies. It explicitly requires that persons with disabilities be included in disaster response efforts by ensuring that emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plans are fully accessible and that barriers preventing access to humanitarian aid, rescue services, and relief efforts are removed.

However, testimonies from students with disabilities in Gaza, as documented in our film, expose a stark reality: none of the provisions related to safety, protection, or healthcare have been upheld during the past 15 months of Israel’s war on Gaza. Even after being forcibly displaced from their homes, they remained unsafe, with one of the students tragically losing her life despite relocating to what was presumed to be a safer area.

This blatant failure to protect persons with disabilities in Gaza underscores the urgent need for international agencies to enforce the UN CRPD and ensure that people with disabilities are safeguarded during conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Persons with disabilities in Gaza must be guaranteed safety in any emergency situation, ensuring that shelters, evacuation procedures, and communication systems are fully accessible and responsive to their diverse needs. Their right to healthcare services, medication, and essential treatments must be prioritized, particularly for those with life-threatening conditions.

International agencies and support organisations must align their efforts with human rights and humanitarian frameworks to protect persons with disabilities in war zones. The international community cannot remain silent while persons with disabilities in Gaza continue to suffer. Concrete action is needed now to uphold their fundamental rights and ensure that international protections are not just words on paper, but a reality in practice.

Considering the challenges in Gaza, what immediate steps should the international community take to create accessible, sustainable educational pathways for students with disabilities?

Over the past 15 months, Gaza’s educational sector has been devastated by the destruction of universities, schools, vocational centres, and disability organisations that once provided essential educational services for students with disabilities across different age groups and disabilities. The scale of destruction has severely disrupted access to education, leaving thousands of students, especially those with disabilities, without the support and resources they need to continue learning.

The destruction of Gaza’s educational institutions is not just an attack on infrastructure, but an attack on the future of an entire generation. The international community must act now to restore education in Gaza, ensuring that no student in Gaza regardless of ability is left behind. The main urgent and concrete steps to address this crisis are: 

1: Providing Safe and Accessible Housing: People with disabilities and their families must be relocated to prefabricated accessible housing units in the Gaza strip that ensure safety, dignity, and mobility.

2: Ensuring Access to Healthcare: Urgent medical treatment must be made available for those in critical medical condition, including facilitating medical evacuations abroad when necessary (kidney implant, prosthetic operations etc.)

3: Delivering Psychosocial Support: The mental health and well-being of students must be prioritised before reintegrating them into educational settings. Psychological support services are crucial to help them cope with trauma and loss before resuming their studies.

While the reconstruction of universities and schools will take time, interim solutions must be put in place to prevent further educational disruption:

1: Prefabricated Accessible Classrooms: The international community should urgently provide prefabricated, fully accessible classrooms across all areas of Gaza. These temporary learning spaces must be inclusive for students with and without disabilities. They should be equipped with essential infrastructure, including internet access, solar power, lighting and electricity.  Moreover, e-SIM for internet data, tablets and laptops equipped with assistive technology such as screen readers, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text software should be provided to support students with disabilities.

2: Inclusive Teacher Training: Providing specialised training for educators is essential to ensure that they adopt inclusive teaching methods and effectively support students with disabilities in their learning process.