Before the war, 13-year-old Kenan al-Sabaa attended the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Gaza City, which provided specialist teaching and opportunities to communicate with other hearing-impaired children. But the building was partially levelled during the war and turned into an overcrowded shelter for displaced people. Atfaluna has since set up temporary learning spaces, and Kenan now attends classes for a few hours a week. His father, Tamer al-Sabaa, told Al Jazeera the interruptions have left his son far behind in his studies.
"These few hours do not cover or repair the massive educational gap and academic decline my son experienced during the war," Tamer said. "He is in dire need of restoring his equipped educational environment and the specialised care that was stripped away from him." He said the school operates only three days a week for no more than two hours a day, and that being deaf makes Kenan's movements dangerous as he cannot hear explosions or warning signals.
Fadel Kuraz, a sign language interpreter and disability rights advocate with Atfaluna, said the war has increased hearing-related injuries and weakened services. He told Al Jazeera that before October 2023 about 20,000 people were registered with hearing disabilities in Gaza, but field assessments now suggest approximately 35,000 new individuals have suffered total or partial hearing loss due to explosions. He cited shortages of hearing aids, batteries, ear moulds and spare parts, alongside obstacles to specialist tests.
Children with visual impairments face similar problems. Duaa Omar Basheer, who worked as an educational counsellor at al-Noor school for blind students in northern Gaza, said it was the only public school in the strip designated for middle and high school students with visual impairments. It was forced to close during the war. She fears students could lose their Braille and independent-learning skills. "We are facing an entire generation of visually-impaired individuals at risk of illiteracy and academic loss," Basheer told Al Jazeera.
In the Shati refugee camp, 12-year-old Jana Shreim, who is legally blind, broke her prescription glasses during the mass exodus from the camp in November 2023. Attempts to repair them failed, and replacement glasses are too expensive under the blockade. Her mother, Wafaa Shreim, said Jana's vision has deteriorated and she now identifies people by their voices. "My daughter now has to identify people by their voices," Wafaa said. "Her sister and I now act as her 'eyes' at every step and everywhere she goes." Jana attended al-Noor school before it was badly damaged in Israeli bombing, leaving her without access to education. Her mother attempts to teach her at home using a Braille writing machine, but says the family has been left entirely alone in seeking support.