Hellenic Federation of the Deaf (HFD)

Established: 1968

Full member of EUD since: 1985

Address: El. Venizelou 236, Ilioupoli, 16341, Greece

Contact details: 

Email: hfd@otenet.gr

Fax: (+30) 210 5233968

Tel: (+30) 210 5233950


Website link: http://www.omke.gr

Mission statement of the organisation

• Coordinate actions between all Greek Associations of Deaf & Hard of Hearing, aiming at a more effective study, presentation and proper handling of the problems that Deaf and Hard of Hearing people face
• Provide every possible support to Member Associations
• Contribute to the mental, cultural and social development of all Deaf & Hard of Hearing people
• Contribute to the development of education and vocational rehabilitation of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, as well as to their active and substantial involvement in research centres and decision-making bodies, which will result in achieving social inclusion and equality
  
• Encrease public awareness regarding the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, with the aim to eliminate all possible forms of prejudice and discrimination against the Deaf & Hard of Hearing people as well as to raise citizens' awareness on issues concerning the acceptance of one another.
• Develop, research and increase the use of Greek Sign Language (GSL)

Details of the Board             

President: Gargalis Constantinos (D)

Board Members & Staff: Alexandridis Spyros (D) 1st Vice President  - Dimopoulou Agapi (D) 2nd Vice President - Gounidou Maria (D) General Secretary - Simpsis Constantinos (D) Assistant Secretary - Viskadourakis Antonis (D) Treasurer - Stoufis Ioannis (D) Assistant Treasurer - Andrikogiannopoulou Panagiota (D) - Goutsikas Constantinos (D) - Manterlis Andreas (D) - Zoupas Panagiotis (D) - Kemmou Eleni (D) - Kyfonidou Maria (D) - Constantas Dimitrios (D) - Levaki Constantina (D) - Marakis Georgios (D) - Mavrakis Nicolaos (D) - Papadakis Manolis (D) - Petropoulos Gregorios (D) - Kalaitzakis Andreas (D) - Fotiou Argyrios (D) and 5 hearing employees

Statistics

General Population of your country? (Including hearing people) 11,000,000

Official or approximate figures of the number of Deaf people living in your country? 12,000

Official or approximate numbers of Deaf people who use sign language as their primary language? 70%

How many people are members of the NAD? The membership of the HFD comprises of local Deaf Associations with almost 2,500 Deaf and Hard of Hearing adults registered.

Does your National Association of the Deaf publish any magazine or newsletters for your members? No

Does your National Association of the Deaf have a youth section? Yes

Status of Sign Language

Is Sign Language legally recognised as part of your Government's constitution? Yes, Greek Sign Language (GSN) has been recognised by law as the official language of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the educational field.

Status of Sign Language Interpreters

Approximate number of qualified sign language interpreters: 67

Details of training centre/courses: There are 7 training centres for interpreters.

Technology

Does your country provide Video Interpreting Service? No

If not, when will it be implemented? Discussions are in progress but we do not yet know whether or when it is going to be implemented.

Deaf centre/clubs

How many deaf centres/clubs? 21

Details of the deaf centre/clubs: The membership of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing centres consists of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. They elect their representatives for the General Assembly of the HFD and record the requests of the D and HoH people, which are forwarded to the HFD. They also organise various events.

Universities/Sign Language Units

Are there any universities that deal with Sign Language? (Deaf Studies, Linguistics, Interpreting) There are Masters for primary school teachers to specialise in Deaf and HoH education. However, these courses only provide theoretical education and no GSL courses.

Deaf Schools

Number of Deaf Schools: 7, plus many inclusive class rooms.

Education method (Sign Language, Oral or other methods): There is no specific teaching method and the majority of the teachers do not know GSL.

History of the NAD

The HFD was founded in 1968 by the then six Associations of the Deaf that existed in Greece. It was closed down after one year but was re-founded in 1984 and exists until today.

Most important events:

• Foundation of a State Special High School for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
• Admission of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing to universities without entrance exams
• Participation in decision-making bodies concerning the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
• Legal recognition of the GSL as the official language of Deaf/Hard of Hearing pupils
• Operation of a GSL School
• Operation of a support centre providing information, support, empowerment and professional inclusion of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
• 50% mobile phone text messages discount
• Full tax exemption on buying first residence up to 90 m²
• Effectuation of a training program for GSL interpreters and assumption of costs
• Six additional days of annual leave for salaried employees
• Seven minutes daily news broadcast in all Television Channels (except the local ones)
• Access of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing to a special service centre through text messages in case of emergency (police, emergency medical service, fire brigade)
• Annual card use for free public transport

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