Deaf Associations: Groups That Fight for Deaf Rights

Deaf associations are organisations that work to help deaf people. These organisations are often run by deaf people themselves. They fight for the rights of deaf people and work to make life better for the Deaf community.

What Are Deaf Associations?

Deaf associations are organizations where deaf people come together. They work to:

Get deaf people equal rights
Make sign language more accepted
Improve services for deaf people
Create a community for deaf people

Most countries in Europe have their own national Deaf association (NAD), which is a member of the EUD (European Union of the Deaf). For example, there is the British Deaf Association in the UK, the Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund in Germany, the Fédération Nationale des Sourds de France in France, Dovenschap in the Netherlands, and Asociácia Nepočujúcich Slovenska (ANEPS) in Slovakia.

European Union of the Deaf

The European Union of the Deaf (EUD) is a large organization that brings together deaf associations (NAD) from all 27 EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. It was started in 1985.

The EUD works with the European Union to:

Fight for the rights of deaf people
Push for the recognition of national sign languages
Make information more accessible
Improve education and jobs for deaf people

The EUD wants deaf people to have equality in all parts of life. They want sign languages to be recognized as official languages in Europe.

Deaf Associations that are members of EUD in the Netherlands and Slovakia

Dovenschap – Netherlands

Dovenschap is the national deaf association in the Netherlands. It started in 2002 but has roots in earlier organizations. Dovenschap works to:

Promote the use of Dutch Sign Language (Nederlandse Gebarentaal) in areas such as education
Improve education and empowerment for deaf people
Make society more accessible for deaf individuals
Increase the number of sign language interpreters and improve interpreting services

Dovenschap is a member of the European Union of the Deaf.[1][2]

ANEPS – Slovakia

ANEPS stands for Asociácia Nepočujúcich Slovenska. It is the main deaf association in Slovakia. ANEPS was started in 2006, but its work goes back to 1991 under different names. ANEPS:

Helps deaf people solve problems in daily life
Works with the government to improve laws for deaf people
Supports the use of Slovak Sign Language (Slovenský posunkový jazyk)
Provides information and social help
Makes subtitles and information more available

ANEPS has centers in different cities in Slovakia. Each center has its own leader, but all work together under ANEPS[3][4]. ANEPS is a member of the European Union of the Deaf.

What Do Deaf Associations Do?

Deaf associations help deaf people in many ways:

Fighting for Rights

They talk to governments about laws that affect deaf people. For example, the EUD is asking for all 29 national sign languages to become official EU languages. This would mean deaf people could use their sign language when dealing with EU and national institutions.

Making Life More Accessible

They talk to governments about laws that affect deaf people

These organisations work to make places and information accessible. This includes:

Captions on videos
Sign language interpreters at events
Visual alarms in buildings
Better education in sign language

. For example, the EUD is asking for all 29 national sign languages to become official EU languages. This would mean deaf people could use their sign language when dealing with EU and national institutions.

Building Community

Deaf associations create spaces where deaf people can meet others who use sign language. They organize events, sports, and cultural activities.

How Can You Get Involved?

You can join your country’s Deaf association. Many have local groups in different cities. By joining, you help make the Deaf community stronger and support the fight for Deaf rights.

Remember, Deaf associations are powerful because they bring deaf people together. When deaf people work as a group, they can make big changes happen.